Hold You Up
by ttfan111robstar1
Summary: Based on the song by Shane Harper. Dean Winchester has a bizarre dream that sparks a new relationship between himself and Castiel. Now he has the chance to have the childhood he never had. While he starts on the adventure of a life time, he'll make his own family, see some of his old, and discover more about himself than he ever imagined. Contains infantilism.
1. Hold You Up

**Author's Note: Hello all you lovely readers of mine! It's been a while since I've seen you all. But I'm happy to be back with a new story for you guys. This is my first fic in a current fandom, and I haven't done that since the second Hunger Games movie release. I don't know how regularly this will be updated, but I at least wanted to get the first few chapters of this little fic up for you all to enjoy. Positive reviews are always welcome. I hope you all enjoy this story!**

 **"** **The world is so broken and sometimes it leaves you cold**

 **And at times you can't feel the fire to guide you home**

 **The demons will haunt you and try to steal what you know**

 **But the angels, they brought you**

 **And they're gonna hold you up**

 **They're gonna hold you up."** **-"Hold You Up" By Shane Harper**

Dean Winchester tossed his duffel bag onto the cheap motel bed, his brother Sam following behind him. After a long day of hunting, he was in dire need of a good night's sleep. He flopped down on the bed with a sigh and rolled over onto his side. He was exhausted. He kicked off his shoes and threw his jacket in the general direction of the closet. Sam had already climbed into bed, too tired to care about anything else. Dean could feel his eyes getting ready to close for the night, so he got up, pulled back the covers, and turned off the light. He climbed under the warm blankets, content for the first time in a while. For once, he was safe. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, not knowing that he had unconsciously stuck his thumb into his mouth for comfort.

The dream he had that night was so strange.

Dean's sleep before this had been black and dreamless, but now with a burst of color there was a nursery there. Dean stepped forward. There was something strangely familiar about this room. The walls were a bland shade of yellow. The crib was against the back wall, with the bookshelf across from it. The closet was on another stretch of wall, opposite the changing table and dresser. The rocking chair was shoved into one corner, and stuffed animals were strewn all over the carpet. He picked up the nearest one. It was a soft stuffed dog. He smiled and hugged it to his chest, then started looking around the room.

Everything seemed to be bigger than normal. He stepped toward the crib and let down the side. He didn't really know what he was doing or why, but for once he didn't care- that was the joy of it being a dream. He got inside and put up the crib side. When he looked down at himself he realized he was only wearing a short blue shirt and a diaper. He looked around the room and saw different stuffed animals around the crib. There was a cat, a fox, the dog he had in his hand, and a bird. He crawled over to where the fox plush was and started playing with it, giggling to himself. Until he turned around, he didn't notice that there was a pacifier sitting between the legs of the cat. When he saw it, he eagerly reached for it and put it in his mouth, sucking on it happily.

Castiel had been with his brother Gabriel when he felt the strangest sensation ripple through him. Something about Dean. He excused himself from his brother's presence to go and look in on him. He got to the motel room and saw that Dean was still asleep. However, the sight of his thumb in his mouth was unusual. So he briefly looked inside his mind to see what he was dreaming of, and what he saw surprised him.

For a long while, Castiel, unseen and unfelt by Dean's presence, watched him play, marveling at how relaxed he seemed to be. It was like someone had come in and taken all the cares from his shoulders. He seemed perfectly content, and Castiel couldn't have been more intrigued, even it was a little strange. As much as he wanted to come out and say something, he held back because he didn't want Dean to be embarrassed and stop. So he stayed to watch instead.

Dean played for a while until he got bored. When he put his fox down he realized that he had to go to the bathroom- badly. He stood up and tried to unlock the crib, but it seemed to stretch until it was was just barely out of reach. He realized then that there was nothing else he could do. He was all alone. so he sat down, held his dog in his arms and waited.

He looked down at himself and stared at his diaper. It wasn't anything special, just a regular one with cartoon characters embroidering it. He wondered to himself how he was going to get changed after this, because he couldn't hold it for very much longer. So he closed his eyes and started thinking about things that made him happy. It relaxed him enough that he finally started wetting his diaper. At first he couldn't believe that he had actually done that, but then he realized that he didn't really mind at all. He started to crawl over to where the other stuffed animals were, cooing quietly to himself. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he started getting uncomfortable. He squirmed around, trying to find a comfortable position, but couldn't. Unconsciously, he started to whimper, and tears began to form in his eyes.

Castiel was unable to stand by any longer and quietly came through the door. Dean looked up at him, eyes wide and cheeks the brightest shade of red. He flinched away on instinct, but Castiel patted his arm gently.

"It's alright." Castiel said soothingly. "Let me help you."

Dean let his guard down for once and let his trusted friend change him. When it was over, Castiel was about to explain himself when Dean's instincts took over and he woke up.

Dean shot up from his bed with a gasp, trying to catch his breath. He looked around, expecting someone to be there, but no one was. He was alone. All alone. Maybe it was just a dream. He didn't know. More than that, he didn't want to know. All he wanted to do was forget about it and get back to sleep. He laid back down and pulled the covers up with one hand. It was only then that he realized that he had his thumb in his mouth. He blushed and started to take it out, but some obscure instinct stopped him. It felt good, he decided. He felt a sense of security tied to the action. He could hear the echo of his father's voice inside of his head, telling him that he was acting like a baby and that he was being weak, but for once in his life, Dean didn't care. He started sucking harder, feeling himself relax and slowly fell back to sleep.


	2. Offer

When he woke up the next morning, he felt lucky. He was awake before Sam. It took a minute for him to adjust to his surroundings, when he realized he was still sucking his thumb. He popped it out just in time for Sam's eyes to open. He almost sighed in relief. He rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. By the time he actually got into the shower, the dream was rapidly fading from his awareness, leaving him only with the sensation that it was strange. While he was in the shower, Castiel was busy thinking.

That dream of Dean's had to mean something. He pondered it for a long time, and eventually came up with a solution. He just wasn't sure how Dean would take it. So he spent a while trying to think of a way to break it to him in a way that would get him to say yes. But first he needed Dean alone.

There came a point in the day when the brothers were separated, and Castiel leapt at the chance to talk with Dean. When he appeared, Dean's only reaction was to nod in slight surprise.

"Hey Cas."

"Hello Dean."

"What's up?"

Castiel was still struggling to find the right way to broach the subject.

"Have you ever wished to be a child again?"

The question made his eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Why are you asking?"

"I wanted to know. What was your childhood like?"

Dean paused for a moment, reflecting on the childhood that he'd had. A score of memories flashed before his eyes- some good, some bad, and others neutral. He hadn't had much of a childhood, that much was certain. He couldn't remember much aside from hunting with his father and taking care of Sam.

"It wasn't ideal, but it was mine... And I guess I do sometimes." He said, a hint of wistfulness in his voice. Something about the question plucked a familiar string in his memory. He searched his mind for further information, but couldn't come up with anything.

"Would you... Would you want to have it back?"

"What?"

If Castiel had been capable of embarrassment, he likely would have blushed.

"I want to help give you the childhood you deserve."

"I..." Dean wanted to have a witty response prepared, but he had nothing. This was too weird for his liking. But even more, he couldn't even laugh about it because this was Cas, and he knew he was being completely serious. He needed a minute to process that. All that came out was a shocked "How?"

"I'd be willing to treat you like one. Whenever you aren't hunting with Sam and feel overwhelmed, you can come to me and I'll take care of you."

Dean opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. "I don't have time to talk about this right now."

Castiel knew Dean was just making an excuse, but he allowed it because he knew the boy needed time to contemplate his offer.

"Very well. We will speak later on tonight." He said. Dean nodded woodenly. He was about to leave when Dean called after him.

"Hey Cas?"

"Yes?"

"You won't tell Sammy about this, right?"

"Not unless you want me to."

"Let's just keep this between us for now."

"As you wish."

With that, Castiel took off.

Dean went back to the hunt, but all the while was thinking about Cas' offer. It was when he was driving the Impala back to meet Sam that he made his choice. Once he had, he felt a sense of relief and was able to relax again.

Unable to help himself, Castiel looked inside of Dean's mind and was pleased with what he found. He knew he had to wait until nightfall to speak to Dean alone again, so he busied himself with menial tasks to keep himself occupied. When the moment finally came, he was at the motel in an instant.

Unlike the night before, Dean was wide awake, waiting for the angel to come and see him. When Castiel did appear he took in a shaky breath and led him into the bathroom for more privacy and so they wouldn't wake up Sam.

"Have you thought about my offer?"

"Yes I have."

"And?"

Dean hesitated. "If we were going to do this, where and when would it be?"

"I have taken care of the where. It's a remote cabin in the mountains. No one will bother us there. And the when is entirely up to you."

"But what about Sammy? I can't just leave him here..."

"Sam is going back to school very soon. When that happens you will be able to come and go as you please."

"I just don't know, Cas..."

"Dean." The tone of his voice made Dean's head shoot up.

"What?"

"You do know." He said, looking him straight in the eye. "You do know."

Dean wanted to protest, but found himself incapable. Even though he didn't want to admit it, the Angel was right. Dean sighed.

"Okay."

Castiel smiled. "Good." He said, smiling. Then he pulled a small wrapped package from his trench coat. "This is yours."

Dean looked at him in surprise, but unwrapped the gift. It was a light blue baby blanket that was softer than anything Dean had ever felt. Before he even realized what he was doing, he moved to nuzzle it against his cheek. A dim memory played before his eyes: himself holding a similar colored blanket around the house playing while his parents were in the kitchen.

"I touched it with my grace." He said, hoping to make the object more comforting. "Well? What do you think?"

Dean surprised both Cas and himself by flinging his arms around the Angel's neck.

"Thank you." He whispered.

Castiel smiled. "You're welcome." Dean pulled back from the hug (albeit awkwardly) and shifted his eyes to the floor.

"So... What do I call you now that we're... You know...?"

"Whatever you want, Dean."

Dean rocked back and forth nervously.

"Could I... I mean, if you don't mind... I could call you... Daddy?"

The flush that crossed Dean's face told Castiel how difficult it was for Dean to say that. He went up to him and lifted up his chin so that their eyes would meet.

"Of course you can." He promised. Dean smiled a tiny relieved smile and gave him another hug. "But now it's time for you to get to bed."

Dean frowned. "But when will I see you again?"

"Don't worry. I'll be here when the time is right."

"Okay."

He let Castiel lead him back to his bed for the night before letting himself be tucked in.

"Goodnight Dean." He whispered.

Dean snuggled up with his new blanket and smiled. "Goodnight, Daddy."

Castiel smiled and left. Dean held his blanket close and popped his thumb into his mouth before falling asleep.


	3. First Day

The next few weeks passed in normalcy, with nothing else happening between Dean and Cas in real life. Cas occasionally visited his dreams to ask him about things he wanted when he was little, but otherwise that was it. However, when Sam finally got back to Stanford, Dean prayed for Castiel to come and get him for their first day together as Daddy and son. Truth be told, Dean was excited. He'd never had a very close relationship with John. He was excited at the prospect of a close relationship. Castiel appeared and took him by the hand and teleported them to the cabin. When they arrived, something about it plucked a string in his memory. Had he been here before?

Sensing his thoughts, Castiel smiled.

"You have been here only once before. You were very small. I wanted to give you a place that had meaning to you and be able to make it a safe haven."

"I..." Dean wished he had words to say how he felt. There weren't any. Castiel took his silence as thanks and led him inside. He shut the door behind them. He let Dean look around while he brought in the bags. "Daddy?" He called from the living room.

"Yes?"

"Where's my room?"

Cas' eyes lit up. He'd been hoping for him to ask that question.

"Come with me." He said. He lead him to a wooden door and stepped out of the way so that he could open it himself.

Dean was ill prepared for what he saw.

It was a nursery. With a crib, changing table, and the works. It was exactly what he had dreamed of, although he didn't remember it. He didn't know what to say. Luckily, he didn't have to say anything. Daddy patted him gently on the back and led him in.

"What do you want to do first?" He asked gently.

"I don't know..." He said sheepishly.

"How about we get you dressed into something more comfortable?" He suggested. Dean nodded. That seemed like a good start. "Go pick something." He said. Dean nodded and started looking through the clothes. He pulled out a blue footed sleeper and held it up to Castiel. "Good choice."

Castiel went over to the changing table and patted it, inviting Dean up. But he hesitated. Castiel felt compelled to find out why and saw that he was afraid to be seen naked. He didn't understand why nudity was such a big deal for humans, but for now he decided to focus on making Dean feel better.

"It's alright, Dean. Nudity is not a shameful thing. My father created humans with no shame or any knowledge of their nakedness. It did not matter to him and it certainly doesn't matter to me."

For some reason the small speech made him feel better. But it didn't take away from his hesitation.

"Can't you just mojo it on?" He asked.

"I could, but I don't think it would be a good idea."

Dean tensed automatically. "Why?"

"I don't want to risk using any magic here. I've only used it to protect the house from intrusion. This should be something done as humanly as possible. It's only fair. I promise you I wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary."

What he said was true, but there was another part to it that he had purposely hidden from him- he was afraid that someone could track him by his powers. So other than securing the house, he had vowed to not use them.

Dean's shoulders slumped in acceptance. "Okay."

Castiel smiled. "Good boy."

He got up and laid down on his back. Castiel got him out of his clothes and pulled out a diaper from under the table. He tensed. That was going way too far! But when he opened his mouth to protest, Castiel put a pacifier in his mouth to keep him quiet. Dean's first instinct was to just spit the thing out, but for some reason he found himself sucking on it. It tasted a little strange, but that didn't really bother him.

"That's a boy." Castiel Praised as he changed him. "You don't have to use it if you don't want to. It's just there to make you feel safe." He promised. Dean didn't know how to respond, so he purposefully ignored it. Once he was completely dressed, Castiel attached the pacifier ribbon to his sleeper and helped him up. "There now. That's better." He said, smiling. Dean was still looking around the nursery in awe when he realized something and frowned. He pulled the pacifier from his mouth and looked up at the Angel.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Where's my blankie?" He asked. Castiel moved to where Dean's packed bags were and pulled it out of the duffel bag.

"There you go baby boy." He said, watching with a smile as he nuzzled it against his cheek. Dean looked at him, smiling happily. "What do you want to do now?" He asked.

Dean thought about it for a moment, then took his pacifier out. "Play?"

Castiel looked out the window and realized that it was actually fairly late in the afternoon. "How about a nap instead?"

Dean's smile faded. That wasn't very fun.

"I wanna play." He said sadly.

"How about you play after?" He offered.

Dean frowned, but didn't protest. Castiel picked him up and took him to the crib. He lowered the side bar and laid him in gently. He tucked him in, and Dean squirmed, whining quietly. Castiel hushed him.

"It's alright." He soothed. He ran his hands through Dean's hair. The motion relaxed him, and he fell asleep. Castiel put the pacifier back into his mouth and quickly exited the room. He took the time to unpack their bags before sitting on the couch in the living room. There was a baby monitor attached to the crib, and Cas had the other one in his trench coat pocket. He was so calm he almost didn't notice his brother coming in through the front door.

Almost.

"What are you doing here, Gabriel?" He asked. His tone wasn't angry, but it wasn't exactly happy either.

"I came to visit."

"Why?"

"You've been going off on your own on and off for the past few weeks. You haven't told a soul about it. If you think I don't know when something is going on and you're trying to keep it from me and everyone else, you're sadly mistaken."

"Have you ever considered that there was a reason why I didn't tell you or anyone else in the first place?"

"I have. But there's no reason to keep things from family."

"It's not my secret to tell. I'm helping someone else." He said, hoping that would be enough to get Gabriel off of his back.

"What does it matter?" He asked. "Come on, bro. If you told me I could help you out when you needed something."

Tempting as the offer was, Castiel stood his ground. "No. This is important to me, Gabriel. This is something I have to do alone. I'm sorry but I can't tell you about this. It's too important." He said firmly. Gabriel looked at him for a minute, possibly in faint surprise before nodding gracefully. He wanted to press the issue further, but could see he wasn't going to get anywhere right now. He would have to wait until a better opportunity arose.

"Alright. But if you need something, give me a call."

Castiel smiled slightly. "I will."

With that, Gabriel vanished.

No sooner had Gabriel gone, then Dean began making noises, signaling that he was very much awake. Castiel smiled and went into the nursery. He flicked the light on and went over to Dean, who smiled up at him.

"Hey there, buddy. Did you sleep well?" He asked, picking him up. Dean nodded, rubbing his eyes with his fist. He was too tired to notice that he was being carried. His blanket was held loosely with one hand as Daddy took him into the kitchen. He sat him down at the dining room table. Dean whimpered slightly at being put down, but Daddy was quick to hush him.

"I'm just going to get you a drink, baby boy." He promised. He grabbed a pre made bottle of milk from the fridge and heated it in the microwave. When it dinged, he pulled the bottle out and went over to Dean.

"Do you want to drink your milk here or in Daddy's lap?" He asked. Dean thought about it for a moment before reaching up to the Angel. Castiel smiled, grabbed the bottle, and went to sit on the couch. He laid Dean across his lap and gently removed the pacifier from between his lips. He whined a little at that, but was silenced by the rubber nipple of the bottle entering his mouth. He started sucking and his eyes slowly closed shut as Cas looked at the boy with a smile. He had planned all of this down to the last detail. He knew he would have to start easing Dean into all of this slowly. The diapers would likely take the most time for him to adjust to. But the clothes, feedings, naps, and playtime were a solid foundation to build on. If all went well, it would help him slip into that infantile headspace. As long as he was happy, that was all Cas cared about.

When the bottle was gone, he settled Dean into a playpen that was loaded with toys. Cas sat back on the couch to watch him for a few minutes, monitoring his feelings closely. At first he could feel the embarrassment radiating off of Dean as he woke up a little more. Now that he was thinking clearer, his shame became more dominant. But as quickly as it had appeared it melted away as Dean started to play and get involved with his toys. Smiling, Cas flipped on the TV. Not to watch it, but just to have a little background noise while his baby played. Even though it was technically their first day as Daddy and son, both of them fell into the role so naturally that it was like they'd been doing it for years. However, if Castiel was being honest with himself, he had prepared for a lot more resistance from Dean. He expected tantrums and struggling and- if he were to be completely truthful- spankings. And yet, none of the problems he had anticipated never materialized. Dean was perfectly fine.

After he played for a while, Castiel went to the kitchen to make Dean dinner. It took about fifteen minutes for Dean to realize that his Daddy wasn't there, and he began to whimper. In the space of time it took him to blink, Castiel stood in front of him.

"What's the matter, baby?" He asked, picking him up. Dean leaned his head on his Daddy's shoulder and curled his fingers into his shirt while Cas rubbed soothing circles on his back. Dean didn't speak. He just whimpered and whined quietly. "You don't want me to leave?"

Dean nodded mutely.

"Would you like to sit with Daddy in the kitchen?" He asked. Again, he nodded. "Alright." He sat Dean on the counter while he stirred the pasta in the boiling water. Dean watched him from the corner of his eye, and looked back at the playpen, longing for one of the toys. Castiel, seeing his thoughts, flew over and grabbed what he knew was already Dean's favorite: a toy version of his '67 Impala. He handed it to Dean who took it with a smile. While he made the car drive down the counter, Castiel focused on the pasta. Considering that he didn't eat he didn't exactly count himself as a master chef. But he knew how to make pasta, at least. Maybe this would help him become a better cook. When the pasta was done he drained the water and stirred in the sauce. Then, he put some on a plate for Dean. He moved the boy to the table first before putting his plate in front of him. He gently tugged the blanket from his grip so that it wouldn't get dirty, and set it and the car back in the playpen. Dean waited for him expectantly. Cas handed him a plastic fork, but he chucked it away. Luckily, Castiel caught it before it could get very far.

"Dean," he said in a warning tone. "We don't throw things." He put the fork back beside the plate, but Dean shook his head.

"No!"

Castiel was puzzled. He could have taken a peek into Dean's mind, but chose not to. He felt better trying to get the answers himself.

"Dean, are you not hungry?" He asked. Dean shook his head again. Castiel thought he was close to feeling the human emotion that was frustration. "What do you need?"

"Want you to do it." He whined.

"You want me to feed you?"

Dean nodded, and Castiel smiled and started feeding his little one. He fed him his pasta, and when it was done, he took a rag and wet it with warm water to wipe Dean's face. Once that was done, he put Dean back in the playpen. For a while, this kept him occupied, until he started squirming in his seat. Cas went over and knelt down to him.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"Potty." He said, frowning.

"Are you ready to use your diaper?" He asked earnestly. Dean shook his head. Castiel accepted it and helped him out of the pen. He zipped down the back of the sleeper and let Dean go to the bathroom. He waited for him to come back out, but when he didn't Castiel went to find him. He knocked on the door and heard him crying.

"Dean?" He asked, quietly.

A sob was the only reply he received.

"Can Daddy come in?"

He heard Dean unlock the door. When he stepped inside, his heart broke. Dean stood crying next to the toilet, sobbing his heart out. His sleeper was rumpled up on the floor, but what stuck out to him was that the diaper had clearly been used. Castiel pulled the sobbing boy into a tight embrace.

"What happened, buddy?" He asked gently. Even then, Dean flinched.

"I-I... I d-didn't get to the p-potty in time." He cried.

"That's okay, baby boy. That's what your diaper is for."

Dean refused to listen and just kept crying.

Sighing in defeat, Castiel carried the boy to the nursery to change his diaper. He made quick work of it and treated it as something matter of fact. He hoped that the more normally he treated this the less embarrassing Dean would find it. When he was done, he zipped the sleeper back up and pulled his child in for a hug.

"There now. It's all done. Daddy's so proud of you, baby boy. You did very well." He praised. Slowly, Dean stopped crying. "How about Daddy gives you a treat for being such a good boy? Would you like that?"

Dean nodded a little. They went out to the kitchen and Dean saw a pie on a cooling rack. His eyes lit up, his earlier distress forgotten, and he bounced up and down with excitement. Cas chuckled and settled the boy in his chair so that he could cut the pie. A slice of apple pie later, Dean was happy again.

They spent the rest of the evening together. After Dean had played for a while, Cas decided it was bedtime. He plucked Dean up from his playpen and room him to the bathroom so he could brush his teeth. When that was done, Cas sat in the rocking chair and read Dean a story before putting him to bed. When he exited the room, he sighed contentedly. This first day had been perfect. It could only get better from here.


	4. Familiar Face

**Author's Note: Not even gonna lie: this is my favorite chapter thus far. I hope you guys love it as much as I do!**

That set the tone for the first few visits to the cabin. Although they fell into the roles easily enough, Dean tended to still put up a fuss at some of it. But slowly, he became more comfortable with it and stopped feeling so self conscious. However, one day something happened that stopped him short.

It had started like a normal day.

Breakfast had gone swimmingly, and playtime was plesant. It was getting to naptime when the problem started. Castiel was gently laying Dean into his crib when Dean whimpered.

"What's the matter, baby boy?" He asked.

"Blankie." He whined. Recognition crossed Cas' face.

"Ah. I'll go get it for you." He said, going to the living room. He went over to the playpen, prepared to swipe the blanket from it, but it wasn't there.

That was strange. It had been right here when Dean was playing.

Castiel could hear Dean's cries growing over the monitor he kept in his jacket. He scanned the room quickly and got the same result. Nothing.

Crap.

Meanwhile, miles away from the cabin, Sam was driving up the mountains in search of his brother. He had found a case that needed their attention. He already had the GPS in Dean's phone on and was headed to the location.

Back at the house, Dean's wailing only increased in volume. Castiel sighed and did the only sensible thing he could think to do- he went back to the nursery. He plucked him from his crib and settled him onto his hip. He bounced him up and down and rubbed circles on his back. He hushed him, but it didn't do any good. He just shrieked.

Time went by unnaturally slowly for both of them. It was especially difficult for Castiel because once Dean started crying, he wouldn't stop. More to the point, he _couldn't_ stop. If Castiel had even a thought that the crying was in any way manipulative, he wouldn't have hesitated to put the child over his knee. But he only had to brush Dean's mind to know that the tears were genuine.

Dean was a wreck. That blanket meant the world to him. It was the first thing a parental figure had given him with affection since his mother died. He didn't know what he'd do if it was somehow lost. His cries alternated between loud and shrill wails and quiet whimpers, but they never ceased.

The day had already turned to night, and Castiel was starting to get close to the human emotion of desperation. He sat on the couch with Dean in his lap, trying to calm him down. Well on his way to bring completely frazzled, he decided to reach out to his brother Gabriel for help.

 _Gabriel, I need your assistance. Please, brother... Help._

He didn't bother trying to hide Dean. He was making too much of a fuss to be hidden, and if Castiel let him go, he would scream. Gabriel materialized in the living room, but Dean didn't notice him. Castiel kept the connection open between them, and told his brother that if he said one word he would not hesitate to put his own blade in him. Gabriel would have laughed at the sight of Dean sobbing in his brother's lap if Castiel hadn't been staring daggers at him.

 _Just find the blanket._ Castiel said, keeping Dean in his lap.

Gabriel rolled his eyes but complied. Castiel could sense that his brother was about to use his powers and stopped him. He explained his thought process about not using his powers so that they couldn't be tracked. Now that Gabriel thought about it, it was actually a decent idea. An angel and a Winchester in the same place made for one hell of a target for any of their enemies. Now that he was looking, the entire house had been monster proofed. There was salt lining the Windows, Holy water on the tables, hex bags stashed strategically around the house, Iron items in each room, and of course shotguns and silver blades hidden around. Smart. Even in this safe haven Cas had catered to Dean's hunter instincts so that he could truly relax. He pushed the thought aside and started looking for the blanket.

Like his brother before him, Gabriel couldn't find the blanket either. So he broke one of his brother's rules and conjured up a blanket identical to the one Dean had. He came back to him and handed his surrogate nephew the blanket. Dean quieted for an instant, took one look at it, tossed it aside. He knew that wasn't his blanket. It didn't look or smell the same, nor did it have the most important factor- Castiel's grace. Dean gave Gabriel a nasty glare, but it didn't have the same effect as it Normally would because he was crying. Gabriel had to bite back a laugh. But he stopped as Dean's wails started going up in volume. Gabriel opened the line of communication back up between him and his brother.

 _How long has he been crying like that?_

 _About Five hours._

 _Five hours?! Cassie, how did you survive? Why on earth are you making yourself suffer like this when you can just touch him and make him sleep?!_ Gabriel practically shrieked, gawking at him. Castiel sighed.

 _I already explained myself, Gabriel. Now is really not the time._

The thought came just before Dean let out another screeching wail. Cas started bouncing him on his knee again, but it did little to silence the boy.

In that instant, Castiel felt someone trigger an invisible alarm. Any car that came within five miles of the cabin could be detected. He was going to send Gabriel to do it when he realized that Dean's diaper was leaking. He sighed and asked Gabriel to bring him the supplies he needed. The lord only knew that if he were to try and set the boy down he would probably have a baby screaming loudly enough to break the spell he'd cast to soundproof the house. Gabriel brought back what he'd asked for before catering to his brother's wishes and standing guard outside the door.

Dean's wailing temporarily lowered after the diaper was removed and he was changed. Although once his clothes were back on he kept crying for his Daddy. He wanted to be held and comforted. Only when he was back in his lap did he calm slightly again.

Gabriel was standing in front of the house when the car finally pulled up. Sam got out to Gabriel in front of the cabin. That was something he wasn't expecting.

"What are you doing here, Gabriel?"

"I could ask you the same question."

Sam rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for this." He tried to get by, but Gabriel refused to let him by. "Dean and I have a case to work!"

"Not tonight you don't. And for your information my little brother asked me to come here to make sure nobody disturbs him or Dean."

He paused for a minute. "They're not... Having, y'know... Sex, are they?"

The face Gabriel made was laughable. "Of course not."

"Then what's the big secret?"

"It's not your place to ask! It wasn't mine either but Cassie asked for my help." The Angel snapped.

"With what?"

"He just wanted help trying to find something. That's all."

"Look Gabriel, I don't want to fight you. But I need to see Dean now." He said in a warning tone. Gabriel's eyes narrowed.

"I said no. Sorry Sam. You're just going to have to wait until tomorrow."

Sam was never one to be deterred, so he decided to stay and fight. It took him quite a long time but eventually he got the door open and stepped inside. Only once he was completely in the house did he hear the wailing.

 _A baby?_ Sam thought. _What are Cas and Dean doing with a baby?_

Gabriel was still on the ground when Sam got inside and opened the connection with his brother, apologizing because there was nothing he could do to stop it. And truth be told there wasn't anything Cas could do either.

Sam followed the sound of the cries and carefully peered around the corner. Naturally, he was flabbergasted at what he saw.

There was Dean, sobbing his eyes out, sitting on Cas' lap in baby clothes with the Angel trying to comfort him.

He stared at them, puzzled for a long while. Neither of them seemed to notice his presence. If they did, they didn't care. He was so confused. What on earth was going on with them? He didn't even get to ponder the question long.

All of a sudden, in the midst of chaos, the record player started up all by itself, and the familiar tune filled the room as a voice began to sing:

"Hey Jude, don't make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better..."

Castiel remained confused by what had happened, but the effect on Dean was almost immediate. His cries grew quieter until they were nothing more than whimpers, although the tears never stopped falling.

The lights began to flicker, and Dean started fixating on something in front of him that Castiel or Sam had yet to see.

"What is it?" Asked Cas.

"Mommy..." He whispered.

She came slowly, with a kind of pageantry. Her body was revealed from her feet up to her head, wearing the white nightgown she'd been wearing the night she died. Her hair was golden and luminous, her eyes bright, and her smile wide. Instantly, Dean relaxed.

Mary walked toward him, carrying a blue blanket. Dean's eyes lit up and he reached out for his beloved comfort object. The second it touched his fingers, he calmed completely. Mary leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, and laid a hand on his cheek.

"I love you so much, sweetheart." She whispered.

"I love you too, Mommy." He said.

She smiled at him and started singing "Hey Jude" again. Slowly, Dean's eyes fluttered shut. When the song was done, she leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Angels are watching over you."

Unconsciously, Dean smiled.

Mary gave Castiel a thankful look and then turned to Sam. She walked over and took him into another room.

"Hello Sammy."

"Hi Mom."

"I need to talk to you."

"About...?"

"You need to support your brother with this. You might think it's strange, but trust me when I tell you that this is something he needs. Promise me that you'll try not to judge him. Alright?"

"Okay."

Mary smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Sure. Mom?"

"Yes?"

"How are you here right now?"

"When your father and I came up here with your brother we made a little bag of things that we made here and hid it under a loose floorboard."

"Wait, is Dad here?"

"No."

Sam looked at her, puzzled. "How?"

"He is able to come here but chose not to out of respect."

"Respect?" Sam repeated out of confusion.

Mary looked at him. "You don't know?"

"... No..."

"I'll let your brother tell you himself."

"Okay."

Mary stroked his cheek affectionately. "Be good, darling. And know I love you very much."

"I love you too."

With that, Mary Winchester disappeared.


	5. Decided

Sam was quiet. Gabriel had been standing behind him for some time now. He took him by the shoulder and lead him toward the door. Just long enough for Castiel to walk by carrying a sleeping Dean. Sam was about to say something when Gabriel quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. Surprised, Sam didn't say anything until they were out of the room. But Gabriel spoke first.

"If you wake him up I swear I'll smite you. It took Cassie five hours to get him to sleep."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"He was like that for _five hours_?!"

"Yeah."

"What the hell could have made him that upset?!"

"He lost his blanket."

"His _blanket_?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't know he had a blanket."

"Neither did I until Cas called and begged me to help him find it."

"So you don't know what's going on here?"

"No. Not completely, but I've been here long enough to get the jist."

"And?"

"You have to let him tell you yourself." Sam sighed in frustration. Gabriel looked at him, amused. "You'll get over it."

A few minutes later, Castiel came out, looking exhausted.

"Hey little bro."

"Not now, Gabriel."

"Bite me." Castiel shot him an irritated look, but said nothing before sitting on the couch. Gabriel sat beside him. "Come on, Cassie. Chin up. You did it."

"It only took me five hours."

"You could have done it in two seconds." Said Gabriel. Castiel looked annoyed.

"You know why I couldn't, brother."

"I know, I know, keeping it magic-free to keep the location a secret. But if Sammy here can find this place, anyone can."

It was only then that Castiel noticed that Sam was in the room. But frankly, he was too exhausted to mind.

"Don't call me Sammy." He snapped, irritated.

"Touched a nerve? Too bad I don't care."

Sam rolled his eyes but ignored the archangel.

They made conversation for a few hours until the burning question on Sam's mind was too much to bear.

"Cas... What's going on?"

Castiel lifted his head to acknowledge the taller Winchester.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I can't tell you. Not without your brother's consent. I'm sure you could figure it out on your own."

Sam briefly contemplated hitting the Angel in the head with a shovel. He hated being stonewalled by Dean- even if this was indirectly.

"I've gathered enough to make a guess, but I want to hear it from you and Dean." Castiel didn't reply, and Sam sighed. Just then, he heard a few cooing noises coming from the baby monitor in Castiel's coat. He sighed loudly, silently praying to his father that Dean wouldn't wake.

Unfortunately, sometimes the answer to his prayers was no.

The coos grew into whimpers. Before Sam could blink, Castiel was gone. It wasn't like he wasn't used to the Angel's hasty exits, but there was something different about this one. It seemed... What? Panicky, maybe? Although he'd never seen Castiel panic, he had a feeling that this was close.

Castiel appeared on the other side of the nursery door, and immediately flipped the light switch. Dean was rolling around in the crib, kicking and whining in his sleep. Cas hurried over to the crib and let down the side. He knelt down to Dean's eye level before gently shaking him awake.

Dean's eyes snapped open and he let out a cry. Castiel pulled him into his arms and cradled him to his chest as he cried, then walked over to the rocking chair and sat down. He hushed him, but that did little to soothe the crying child in his lap. Castiel rubbed his back gingerly and Dean clung to to his shirt.

Sam could hear the noise coming from the room and was curious for his part. Was what he thought true? He would have investigated further had it not been for Gabriel's watchful eye. Unconsciously, he wrung his hands, anxious.

"Don't even think about it." Said Gabriel authoritatively.

Sam looked at him innocently. "What?"

"You know exactly what. Cassie asked for my help. He didn't ask for yours."

The blow was surprisingly efficient, and it left Sam speechless. Gabriel gave a little self righteous smirk Before turning his attention to something else.

Dean whimpered and Castiel tightened his grip. Dean took his pacifier from his mouth and finally spoke.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you make it go away?"

"Make what go away, baby?"

"The bad dreams."

Castiel sighed. "I wish I could. But I can't."

"Why not?" He whined.

"Because Daddy doesn't use his powers here."

They had had this conversation a few times before, Castiel telling him patiently why he couldn't do that. Every time Dean had grumbled but dropped the subject. But this time was different. Dean couldn't let it go. He slammed his fists on his legs a few times in a tantrum like manner and let out a whine.

"I don't wanna have any more bad dreams!" He cried.

Castiel clutched him closer. "I know you don't. But it will be okay."

"How do you know?" He sniffed.

"I'm your Daddy. It's my job to know."

They say there quietly for a while, not speaking, the only sound being Dean crying. When it was clear he wasn't calming down, Castiel picked him up and started walking around the room. But nothing seemed to work.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"I thirsty."

"Do you want a bottle?"

Dean nodded.

Castiel went to put him down, but Dean held on to him tighter.

"You want to come with me?"

Again, Dean nodded.

"Alright then. Come on."

He shifted Dean onto his hip and carried him out to the kitchen, opening the line of communication with Gabriel and telling him to get Sam out of there. When Castiel got to the kitchen, the room was empty. He sat Dean on the kitchen counter and started fixing the bottle. Unbeknownst to them, Sam was watching from the back porch. He was surprised to see Dean so relaxed, and stepped a little closer before he continued observing.

Castiel took the bottle from the microwave and screwed on the nipple. He carried Dean to the couch and settled him in his lap before feeding him. After a few seconds of Dean suckling, Castiel spoke.

"How about Daddy tells you a story?"

Dean nodded.

"One day a Jewish man went to Jericho from Jerusalem. On the way some thieves robbed him. They took all his clothes and wounded him very badly. The wounded man was in great pain, and he cried out for water.

Later on in the day a priest, who was of the same nationality as the wounded man, came down the road, and when he saw the wounded man he went to the other side of the roand and went away without helping the wounded man. After awhile a Levite, who was also of the same nationality as the wounded man, came and he looked at the man and also went away without helping him. Both of these men, the priest and the Levite, should have stopped and helped the wounded man, but neither of them did.

Then a Samaritan, who was of a different nationality than the Jewish wounded man, came by and when he saw him he stopped and helped him. He bound up his wounds and put the wounded man on his own camel and took him to an inn and took care of the wounded man.

When the good Samaritan left the next day, he gave the Innkeeper some money with which to take care of the wounded man and told the Innkeeper that if he needed more money that he would pay him.

In this parable, Jesus was showing the people that we should be like the good Samaritan who stopped and helped the wounded man. Jesus said to his disciples, "Go and do likewise.""

By the time the story was done, the bottle was empty and Dean was fast asleep. Castiel smiled and thanked his father for the inspiration before carrying the boy to bed.

Sam snuck back in through the sliding glass door and walked quietly down the hall to see the door left slightly ajar. He peered inside and saw Castiel laying his sleeping brother into a man-sized crib. The entire room shocked him, but one thing stood out from the rest: the peaceful look on Dean's face.

His brother never looked at rest. Not even when sleeping. It was as though his work kept even his unconscious mind awake. That little feature had always bothered Sam. But now, to see him so relaxed, was heartening.

In that moment, Sam made a decision. He didn't care what Dean was doing. To see him so happy- so fulfilled- that was enough for him. He could accept whatever it was. As long as Dean was okay, that was all he cared about. He went back toward the couch where Gabriel sat waiting for him. Sam sat down for a few minutes before Gabriel spoke.

"So?"

Sam looked at him. "So what?" Gabriel gave him a look.

"Don't play dumb with me, kid. I know you know what I'm talking about."

"About Dean?"

Gabriel scoffed. "Yes."

"I'm happy for him."

Gabriel's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?" Sam nodded. Gabriel analyzed him for a minute before he continued. "Well, good for you." He turned toward Sam and abruptly the mood in the room shifted. "I'm only going to say this one time: If you screw up with what my brother has done here, I can and will use every trick in my Arsenal to shut you down. Got it?" Sam rolled his eyes and Gabriel promptly gripped him tightly. "Do you understand me?!"

"Yes."

"Good."

With that, Gabriel left.

Castiel, exhausted even for an Angel, laid down in his bedroom and opened his connection to heaven to recharge his batteries, leaving Sam on his own. Tired himself, he fell asleep on the couch.


	6. Morning

The next morning came with bright rays of sunshine streaming through the window. Sam opened his eyes and quickly shut them at the onslaught of light. He sat up and looked around, hoping to see a clock, but couldn't find one, so he went to the kitchen to look on the oven. It was six thirty in the morning. He had slept in and still felt exhausted. Ah the life of a hunter- so glamorous. Sam yawned and stretched, turning on the coffee maker before taking a seat at the kitchen table.

The sound of fluttering was almost too faint for him to hear, but the house was perfectly quiet- just enough for him to make out the sound. He looked up to see Castiel standing there. Thank goodness he was used to Cas appearing out of nowhere or else he would have had a heart attack. He wasn't very alert when he first woke in the morning.

"Hello Sam."

"Hey Cas."

"How did you sleep?"

"Fine. Just fine." Sam replied, feeling strange about making small talk with the Angel.

"Good. Dean will be waking up soon, and it's best if you aren't here- not yet at least. Just give me an hour and then you can come up to get him. Okay?"

Sam sighed, stress beginning to set in. "I don't know, Cas. We're already behind as it is."

"I know. But you know he can't see you like that." Cas had a point.

"I know that, I just think it's better if he could share this with me- I mean I know he's not chatty Kathy when it comes to personal stuff-"

"Which is why you need to give him time and wait until he's ready. I know you want to support your brother, Sam. But right now you're doing that by keeping your distance."

Sam was completely slack jawed at the little speech. That was possibly the most parental answer he'd ever heard come out of an angel's mouth. Correction: that was the only parental thing he'd ever heard come out of an angel's mouth. He wanted to say something- anything- but he was at a loss for words. So he simply nodded and left.

It was right then that Castiel sensed that Dean was awake. He got up from the table and walked to the nursery. Dean was laying in his crib, cooing happily. Castiel let down the side of the crib and picked up his child.

"Hey there, baby boy." He whispered.

"Morning Daddy." Dean said, snuggling into his father.

"Ready for breakfast?"

Dean nodded and was happy to be seated at the table. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Castiel started cooking in the kitchen. As Dean's mind began the tedious process of waking up, he remembered bits and pieces of the night before. Gabriel had been here. Gabriel had seen him acting this way. His face flushed red with embarrassment. Castiel noticed the lack of noise and turned to see Dean looking beet red.

"What's the matter, baby?" He asked, cracking eggs into a hot skillet.

Dean didn't say anything, so Castiel brought him over to sit on the counter by him.

"Dean," he said in a more commanding voice, "what is it?" He could have peered into his mind, but felt better asking and getting an answer the polite way.

"Gabriel saw me."

Castiel didn't understand why that was such a big deal. "Yes, and?"

Dean blinked. "I don't want anyone to know."

"Dean, Gabriel doesn't care. Despite what you may think he loves you. He's always wanted a nephew. And now he has one because of you."

The words gave Dean comfort, and he smiled a little before he calmed down. Castiel served him eggs and fed them to him.

"Sam called. There's a hunt for you. He'll be here in an hour."

That roused Dean from his childlike mindset. "He's coming here?"

"Don't worry. He's just going to stop out front for you." Dean relaxed slightly at that.

When his plate was empty, Dean unexpectedly launched himself into his father's waiting arms.

"Thank you, Daddy."

"You're welcome."

With that, Dean went to take a shower. He preferred to have Cas bathe him, but if he wanted to get back into his adult mindset he had to do it alone. Once he got out he felt better. He remembered last night and smiled. His momma had come to see him. It made him feel safe and loved. He briefly wondered how long she had been trapped there. A twinge of sadness colored his thoughts. He missed her already, but was excited that he'd seen her. Maybe someday he could see her again. Hope sprung up in him and before he knew it he was smiling again. He got dressed and noticed how strange it felt to put on regular clothes and underwear. For a moment he seriously considered wearing a diaper, but then told himself that he was being ridiculous. He put his belt on and then looked at himself in the mirror. He looked good to go.

When he got out he went out to the living room he saw Castiel speaking with Gabriel. His face burned bright with embarrassment.

"It's okay, Dean-o. I don't care what you do. As long as you and Cassie are happy, I'm happy."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really. I've never had a nephew before." He said earnestly.

"So you'll be my Uncle now?" Gabriel nodded. "Uncle Gabe." He tested out the name. Dean smiled. "I like it."

Gabriel smiled. "Me too."

Dean glanced at the clock. Sam would be here any minute. "I gotta go. Bye Daddy! Bye Uncle Gabe!"

Gabriel smiled at the term of endearment. "See you later, Dean-o."

"Be careful!" Cas called after him.

"I will!" With that, Dean was out the door.


	7. Torment

**Author's Note: Please Review!**

It was a three day hunt for a nest of Vampires in Lincoln Park, Michigan. It took a while to track down their leader, but eventually Dean had gotten the upper hand and easily chopped of his head with a machete. Now he was on his way back to the cabin with Sam.

The cabin itself was perched atop a mountain. Below it was a mass of forest that was all too simple to get lost in. When the Impala pulled up to the cabin Dean could barely manage to spit out a goodbye to Sam before trying not to run and failing miserably. He pushed the door open and shut it behind him, easily falling into his little boy mindset as naturally as breathing.

"Daddy! I'm home!" He called. He tossed his jacket aside, knowing Castiel wouldn't care, and went to find his Daddy.

Sam was about to start heading down the mountain when he realized that Dean had left his cell phone in the console compartment. So he went inside to return it.

"Daddy!" Dean called, checking Castiel's bedroom. He half expected him to be there connecting with his brethren, but the room was empty. "Daddy?" He called, a little less certain this time as he checked the nursery. Nothing. So he went back to look in the living room. "Da-" he was about to call again when he saw the worst sight he could have ever imagined.

Castiel lay in an unconscious heap on the floor. His face was battered and covered in bruises, and bloodstains were all over his clothes. One of his arms was twisted in a way that just wasn't natural. He looked so human. He looked... _Dead_.

Dean couldn't move. He was frozen in time, a statue with an expression of horror plastered on for all to see. He didn't notice the startled squeak of the word "Daddy" coming from his mouth, nor did he notice Sam rushing up from behind him to see what the matter was. When he saw, he was just as shocked without being so emotional. For a minute, he couldn't think of what to do.

But Dean could.

"Uncle Gabe," he whispered hoarsely, "I need your help."

Gabriel was there instantly. He took one look at Dean's shaken face and sprang into action. He barely blinked at his brother's broken form and instantly healed him. When Castiel took a breath Dean nearly collapsed to the floor in relief. It was only then that he realized he was crying. Gabriel helped his brother up. Castiel opened the connection between them and warned his brother to leave. A new angel was seeking power and would stop at nothing to acquire it. Gabriel was too powerful. If they sunk their claws into him, all of heaven could be in danger. He alone made a tempting target, but an archangel and heaven's rebel together? It was practically suicide. He had already been tormented for two days straight, and not once had he broken. The Angel that had invaded their home had left him alive for whatever reason. However, the Angel had had enough pity to knock him out so that he wouldn't have to endure the agony. Now, however, someone else was here to finish the job. So maybe it wasn't pity. Maybe one was assigned the role of tormentor and the other executioner. He didn't know. The pain was enough to make his head spin. Although he was in searing pain, he uttered two simple words:

"Dean. Run."

Dean didn't think twice before bolting toward the door. His instincts had taken over, and he was obeying his father's commands like a soldier, even though he didn't realize it at the time. When he was right across from the door he was suddenly thrown backward by an unseen force. He was tossed out the front door and sent tumbling down the mountainside. In the fleeting second he was able to think clearly, he found himself grateful that his car wasn't in the path. He ended his descent with a less-than-graceful hit to the head against the trunk of a Douglas Fur pine tree. The last thing he heard before the blackness took him was the sound of his father's voice calling out to him. The last conscious thought he had was the only word he cared about: Daddy.

The Angel that had thrown Dean out had been standing in the room next to them, and Castiel knew he had to act right then. He ran toward the Angel who had taken possession of a vessel in a clearly desperate attempt to protect his little boy. Somewhere in the haze of pain that clouded his mind it occurred to him that perhaps this fatherly instinct was not his own. His vessel Jimmy Novak had been a father long before Castiel had entered his life. The instinct, dormant for some time, now flared up again with a burst of energy. Dean was his to protect. His to defend. He grabbed the assailant by the throat and pulled as hard as he could, knowing that Gabriel (in all his pigheaded stubbornness) had refused to heed his warning and was already behind the attacker and stuck his own Angel blade into his back. Once he was satisfied that his brother could handle the torture and inquisition of their prisoner, Castiel started running out the door.

"Dean!" He shouted before spying the lad at the bottom of the hill. Castiel was instantly at his side, trying to get him to sit up. But it was no use. He was out cold. He would have used his grace to heal him, but he was still far too weak to do anything. As much as it pained him to say it, he would have to let human doctors deal with this. He carried Dean's limp body back up the hill and met up with Sam. He put a hand on Sam's shoulder and flew them to the nearest hospital. Dean was swiftly whisked to the emergency room while Castiel and Sam watched, dumbstruck.

Now all they could do was wait.


	8. Waiting

Sam sat beside the bed in the uncomfortable hard backed plastic chair while Castiel stood in the corner, making himself invisible. Seeing all sorts of tubing protruding from his son made his stomach squirm in the most uncomfortable way. It was the worst thing he had ever seen. He had been human long enough to understand emotions. He felt his sadness mingling with anger in the strangest way. Emotions were clouding his judgement, and that was not good. But at this point it couldn't be helped. Memories of Jimmy's time with Claire uncontrollably flashed through his mind, and they brought him sorrow. The only sound that brought him comfort were the steady beeping and sucking noises that demonstrated that Dean was still alive.

A line was stuck in his arm for an IV, and his head was heavily bandaged. There was a collar around his neck to keep his head upright. But the one that stood out the most was the tube shoved down his throat to keep him breathing. Every time he listened to the push and pull of the ventilator, Castiel was filled simultaneously with hope and despair.

Sam's head snapped up at the sound of heels clicking on the tiled hospital floors.

"Mr. Bruno?"

Sam stood up. "That's me."

"Mr. Bruno, your brother sustained several serious injuries, especially to his head. We aren't sure about the extent of the damage, but we'll be getting the results of the MRI shortly. Aside from head injuries your brother has two ruptured vertebrae in his neck, two broken ribs with severe bruising, damage to his diaphragm, and a punctured lung. We've managed to repair most of the damage to his diaphragm and lung. The ribs will heal with time, and he'll have to wear a neck brace for a while, but he's stable for now."

"Okay. Thank you Doctor."

"Of course."

He knew that Cas was still in the room and had heard everything. He couldn't imagine how he felt about all of that. If he was worried, he figured Cas was panicked. Parents felt everything more intensely, and despite being an angel, Castiel was no exception.

For a long time they both sat there in the quiet. It was a solid hour before the MRI results came back. The doctor came back into the room and Sam stood up.

"There is some brain damage to the prefrontal cortex. We'll know more when he wakes up."

Sam's heart caught in his throat. _Brain damage? No..._

Sam barely stuttered out a thank you before he collapsed into the chair. What was he going to do now? There was only so much that Castiel could repair. He looked at the Angel who had now revealed himself.

"How much of that can you heal?"

Castiel was quiet. "I can heal it, but it will take time."

"How much time?"

"I'm not sure."

"He'll be okay, right?"

"I think so. He's been through worse and somehow he always pulls through."

Sam relented; The Angel had a point. He went back to staring at Dean for any sign of movement.

A measure of time passed. How long, Sam didn't know. From the corner of his eye, Sam saw Castiel straighten abruptly.

"What is it?"

"Gabriel. He wants me to come back to the cabin. Are you okay here?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

Castiel nodded, then disappeared. Sam went back to watching his brother.

The sun was just beginning to set below the horizon when Sam noticed Dean's finger twitch.

"Dean?"

The finger twitched again. Sam got out of his chair and went to his brother's bedside.

"Dean?" He gently patted his shoulder.

Finally, Dean's eyes fluttered open.

"Dean, thank god."

When Dean first opened his eyes he looked up at the bright fluorescent light with confusion. Where was he? His eyes grew wide with fear.

"Dean, it's okay." He said, calmly. But Dean wasn't soothed by this. The beeping of the heart monitor began to speed up as the panic began to set in. It was then that he realized there was a tube down his throat and began to choke on it. Sam was quick to press the alarm button. Doctors rushed in and swarmed around him, pushing Sam out as he watched.

They removed the ventilator from him after sedating him. The doctor reassured Sam that he would be fine. So Sam went back to waiting.

When Dean woke again, it was with a whimper. When he opened his eyes, he was looking for something- no, someone- who wasn't there. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a noise.

Sam saw the look in his eyes. It was his little boy look. Although he had only known about the situation at hand for a day at most, he could already differentiate between the two sides of his personality. There was an innocence to him that hadn't been there before.

Sam immediately bowed his head and prayed silently. _Cas, Dean's awake._

Instantly, Cas appeared in the room and went straight over to his boy. Once Dean saw Cas' face, his whimpering ceased and he calmed down, while Sam watched interestedly.

"What's he thinking, Cas?" Sam asked after a beat of silence.

Castiel opened his connection with Dean and was surprised. His mind was incredibly simple at that point. Almost childlike. The one word that kept repeating over and over again: Daddy. Dean made a cooing noise and reached a hand up to pat his cheek. Castiel smiled.

"He's thinking about me."

"Well there's a shocker."

"His mind is surprisingly simple. Very childlike."

Sam's eyebrows shot up. "Childlike in what way?"

Castiel decided to try something new and tried to open both connections at the same time and link them together. It lasted only a moment or two, but Sam was able to see the innocence in his mind. Dean, likewise, was able to see all the fear and loathing in Sam's, but couldn't articulate a response. So instead he reached out to Sam and held his hand.

Although Dean couldn't see it, Sam smiled in response.


	9. Conversation

That first day of Dean being awake was full of tests, poking, and prodding from the doctors. Although he couldn't say anything, he found it annoying. But he never made noises to indicate anything contrary. Only Castiel knew he felt this way. If Sam had been able to see through the thick grouping of doctors, he could have gathered the same from Dean's body language. The two of them stood by, waiting for the doctors to disappear. When they did, it was well into the night. By that point Dean was too tired to fight sleep anymore and easily found himself adrift in slumber.

Sam passed out almost as quickly as His brother had, leaving Castiel alone with his thoughts.

Keeping himself invisible so that the hospital cameras couldn't see him, he took a step toward his son. He looked at his face and saw the toll that the past days had taken on him. It wasn't right. He frowned at the sight, wishing he could fix it. He could, but not here. The type of work this required needed privacy. Castiel felt sadness blanket him as he thought about how little power he had over the situation. Normally he could fix things in the blink of an eye. Bullet wounds, cuts, bruises, even advanced things like carpal tunnel. But the brain was the most complicated organ in the human body. Healing muscle and tissue was easy, but something that complex took time. He hoped and prayed with all his might that he would be able to restore Dean's brain to it's former glory.

He was still looking at his son when Gabriel opened up the connection between them.

 _Hey little brother._

 _Gabriel. Do you have any news about the Angel who attacked?_

 _Yep. His name is Asteraoth, and he has a very interesting boss._

 _Did you get a name?_

 _Yes._

Castiel waited for more, but Gabriel was silent. He rolled his eyes. _And?_

 _His name is Azrael._

Castiel's eyes widened. _Azrael? You mean-_

 _Yes. The archangel of Death._

 _But I thought that he was-_

 _In prison? Yes. It seems he escaped somehow._

 _Did Asteraoth say how?_

 _No. And I don't think he knows that piece of information._

 _He isn't high enough in Azrael's ranks, right?_

 _Exactly. I'm going to take him back up to heaven and put him in jail. I think he's told me everything he knows for now._

 _Alright. Thank you for telling me, brother._

 _Anytime, Cassie. I'll be stopping in to visit your little tyke when you get back to the cabin._

 _I'm sure Dean would love that._

 _How is he, anyways?_

 _I can heal most of the wounds, but he suffered some pretty severe brain damage._

Gabriel was quiet. Castiel was about to ask him what was going on when he appeared beside him.

Gabriel was about to speak when Castiel reminded him that both of the boys were sleeping.

 _Jesus Cas, why didn't you tell me?_

 _You had your own problems to deal with. I didn't want to burden you with mine._

 _He's no burden. He's my nephew._

 _It will take some time to heal him, but the damage is treatable._

 _Do you want me to take a shot at it?_

 _No. Thank you, Gabriel._

 _Are you sure? Because I-_

 _He's my son, brother. And I need to be the one to fix this. Considering that I was the reason he got hurt in the first place._

Gabriel frowned but nodded. _Is he doing okay at least?_

 _Considering everything he's been through I think he's handling this extremely well._

 _He's a strong kid._

 _Yes he is._

 _What are you going to do once he gets out of here?_

 _I'll take him back out to the cabin and take care of him there until he gets well enough to get back in the game._

 _Good thinking. That kid could really be helpful if we're going to be taking Azrael down._

 _I had the same thought. In the meantime, Gabriel, could you ward the cabin from any intruders?_

 _Sure. Whatever you need._

 _I still don't know how they tracked us down, but they can't find us again._

Gabriel felt a twinge of guilt well up inside of him. He had used his powers back at the cabin. But that was one time! How was he supposed to know that the could have tracked Cas through him? How could he have known the catastrophic consequences of his actions? Although he had seen the future regarding his brothers and the apocalypse, he had no way of knowing that this tragedy would unfold. He shook it off and looked at his brother.

 _I'll make sure that nobody else can get in._

 _Thank you, brother._

 _Of course. Later, Cassie._

 _Goodbye._

With that, Gabriel disappeared, and Castiel turned his attention back to Dean. What he saw warmed his heart. The boy was fast asleep, his thumb in his mouth, snoring quietly. Castiel felt the strangest fluttering inside of his chest. A feeling for which he had no name. Dean was normally so strong and determined. To see him so soft and innocent was heartwarming to the Angel. He couldn't help himself from running his fingers Dean's hair, and watched him smile unconsciously from behind his thumb. His boy was so sweet and good that it broke his heart.

"I'm so sorry, baby boy. But I promise you I will make this right."

It was then that he felt a wetness on his cheek. He brought his hand to his face and saw a drop of water had been on it. It took him a minute to realize that he was crying. So this is what crying felt like in a human body. He had never experienced the sensation before, but he felt a sense of relief tied to the action. He wiped his face of anymore tears and slowly calmed down as he stood vigil over his child. No Angel would get to him tonight. Not while he was on the clock.


	10. Home

It was a long and grueling two weeks before Dean was let out of the hospital. Since he was constantly being poked and prodded by doctors there wasn't much time allowed for Cas to heal him. So he had to wait until they were out to do anything. Since Castiel hadn't been able to heal him, Dean hadn't improved very much. The most progress made was that the bruises on his ribs had begun to heal. As for Dean himself, he didn't understand what was going on half the time. Although Cas had to give him credit for keeping it together for that long. When the day finally came for them to check out, everyone was relieved.

Dean was wheeled out in a wheelchair by Sam, who brought him to an empty part of the parking lot where Cas was waiting. He picked Dean up into his arms and waited for Sam to return before he laid a hand on his shoulder and teleported them back to the cabin. When they arrived, Gabriel was waiting inside. He had warded the place against angels but managed to make a sort of security system. The system would disarm once it touched Castiel's or Gabriel's grace. Once inside, it would automatically lock again. Once Castiel saw this, he stared at his brother incredulously. Gabriel just smirked at the look on his face.

"What? I had to do something while you were gone."

And that was the end of the subject.

Once inside, Cas felt Dean's body relax. He hadn't noticed it before but his child had been incredibly tense. Now he seemed to be relaxed for the first time in weeks.

"Home sweet home." Said Castiel as Dean snuggled up to him.

He took him to the nursery to get him changed into a diaper and some warmer clothes. Dean seemed happy to be back home. Sam, who had come into the house after them, went into the living room, plopped on the couch, and turned on the TV.

Once Dean was changed, Castiel took him into the living room and set him down in his playpen with some of his favorite toys. He figured that would hold his attention long enough for him to get lunch ready. When he turned his back to go into the kitchen, however, he heard a whimpering behind him and sighed. He should have known that it wasn't going to be that easy. He snapped his fingers and levitated the playpen until it was in the kitchen with him. Dean seemed satisfied with the solution and started to play with his toys while Castiel started trying to cook.

At first Gabriel decided to watch just for kicks. And the sight of his brother trying to make sense of human food was incredibly amusing, but then it got to the point where it was just depressing. So Gabriel took pity on his brother and took over. Having been on earth for eons longer than his brother, he had learned to cook (mostly for the ladies) and was actually quite good at it. So he pushed his brother aside and started showing him how to cook something other than pasta.

Gabriel decided to show him how to make some burgers in a skillet for lunch with a potato salad on the side. It was something simple that he could make for pretty much any meal. And this also taught Castiel how to cook meat. Now that he knew how to do that, dozens more recipes were opened to him.

When the burgers were done, they all sat down at the kitchen table and ate. Castiel almost didn't until he remembered how much his vessel Jimmy loved red meat. Even though he didn't need to eat, he decided to do so for pleasure, all the while feeding Dean bites of his burger. While they ate, Gabriel filled them all in about what Asteraoth had told him while Dean was in the hospital.

As it turned out, Asteraoth had been slowly gathering a following over the centuries. He had been telling his followers about the great Azrael, archangel of death, and how his powers could be used to improve heaven. So Asteraoth had broken him free from heaven's jail after converting the guards to followers. He had met Azrael with a small army of angels ready to do whatever he commanded. Azrael was pleased and impressed with Asteraoth's loyalty, so he had dubbed him his second in command (although even that position didn't make him privy to all of Azrael's secrets.) and had assigned him one of the greatest tasks in his Arsenal: tracking down Castiel and finding out how he had conquered heaven. He was the only one who had done so and lived, so Azrael wanted to find out everything he could about his methods. That was why he had been tortured. To find out what he had done to take over heaven. When Asteraoth had been satisfied with the answers he was given, he left Castiel, thinking Azrael would send some lesser soldiers to clean up his mess, but Azrael had demanded that he do it himself. When Asteraoth asked why he should do it, Azrael never answered him. So he had come back to finish the job, and that's when he had been caught.

"Where is Asteraoth now?" Castiel asked his brother.

"He's back in one of my hiding places. Don't worry. He won't be found for a long time."

"And why is that?"

"Because I carved sigils into his chest to keep him from being found."

"What about Angel radio?"

"The reception down there is terrible. That spot is where I go when I want to be left alone with my thoughts. He isn't tapping into anything while he's locked down there."

"Did you leave him there alone?"

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Do you really think I'm that stupid, Cassie? Of course not. A buddy of mine owes me a favor, so he's on watch dog duty."

For once it seemed like things were under control.

When lunch was over, Castiel carried a sleepy Dean back to the nursery and laid him into his crib for a nap.


	11. Surprised

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I am SO sorry for not updating yesterday. Some really bad stuff happened and I couldn't bring myself to write. But it's all good now, so please enjoy this chapter and Please, please, PLEASE give it a review!**

Castiel went back out to the kitchen to hear Sam talking on the phone.

"No... We're fine... Really Bobby, you can handle one case without us... No, that's not it... I-... I'm sorry but I can't leave... Dean can't either... Because... I'm not ly-..." Sam sighed. "Alright fine. Because Dean was in the hospital and he hasn't recovered yet."

Sam winced and pulled the phone away from his ear as Bobby yelled at him.

"I know... I've been so busy with Dean that I forgot... He's doing okay, considering what happened... He fell down the side of a mountain and bashed his head against a tree... Cas is doing his best to heal him but it will take time... Because he suffered brain damage. The other injuries were pretty minor, all things considered... No, he's sleeping right now... Okay... I will... Call me if you need anything... Alright. Bye, Bobby."

Sam hung up his phone with a sigh and put a hand to his forehead.

Castiel looked around for his brother to see him in the kitchen making himself an ice cream sundae.

"Is everything alright?" Asked Cas. Sam looked up at him.

"Yeah. Bobby just wanted some back up for a hunt. There's a possible wraith in Georgia."

Castiel nodded and turned to his brother, who was dumping crumbled Oreos and cashews onto his sundae. Castiel looked confused.

"What are you making, Gabriel?"

"An everything-but-the-kitchen-sink sundae."

"How are you going to fit an entire house into a bowl of ice cream?"

Gabriel rolled his eyes at his brother's lack of knowledge. "It's an expression, Cassie." When the sundae was to his liking, he grinned and started eating. "He asleep?" He asked through a mouthful of ice cream, moving to eat at the table.

"Yes."

Gabriel was quiet for a minute. "You know, you're really good with him, Cassie. I'm surprised. Kinda makes me think about getting a Rugrat of my own."

Castiel's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?"

Gabriel nodded as he shoved another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

Sam shrugged and got up from the table. Castiel didn't have to look into his mind to see that he was still thinking about his conversation with Bobby.

"Sam, if you want to go and help Bobby with his hunt you can. Gabriel and I have things covered here."

He could see Sam consider it for a moment before shaking his head.

"Thanks Cas, but no. I want to stay here and help."

"I think you would be of more use to Bobby in this situation. Dean is asleep right now and won't be up for a few hours. He'll still be here when you get back. Besides, Bobby will want to know how Dean's doing. It's better he hear it from you then come up to see him for himself."

"You know he'll want to see Dean for himself anyways."

Sam had a point. But Castiel kept going.

"He'll be okay, Sam. If he needed you, we'd call. I promise."

Sam was teetering between the two options. He really did want to help his brother, but he couldn't really do anything right now. Them, Castiel said the words that he needed to hear.

"Dean would want you to go and help people."

And that decided it.

He grabbed the keys to the impala and said goodbye to the Angel and archangel before calling Bobby back on his way to the car. Castiel watched from the window as the car pulled out from the driveway and headed down the mountain. Cas turned his attention back to his brother, and was surprised. Gabriel looked vaguely... Disappointed. Castiel tried to figure out why that would be without looking into his mind. Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit him and his eyes widened slightly.

"Brother..." Said Cas, jerking Gabriel from his thoughts. "Are you thinking what I think you are?"

"What are you talking about, Cassie?" To his credit, Gabriel kept a stone face.

Castiel opened the link between them and searched for what he thought was going on in Gabriel's mind. The only problem with his plan was that Gabriel was excellent at hiding his thoughts from him, but this time, Castiel had the element of surprise on his side. Before Gabriel could hide it, Castiel saw the incriminating thought and smirked with victory.

"So you were thinking about it." Said Castiel.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Yes, okay? Yes I was thinking about it. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Gabriel, there's no shame in wanting that." He said quietly.

"How do you even ask something like that?" The archangel questioned.

"It isn't easy." Castiel warned. "But it was one of the most rewarding decisions I've ever made."

"Why did you do it, Cassie?" Asked Gabriel.

The question surprised Castiel, and for a moment he wasn't sure how to answer.

"Because I knew I could make Dean happier. I didn't know how much happier it would make me, though. But it did. It turned my life upside down in a way I never thought possible. And if I could do it over again, I wouldn't change a thing."

"Really?"

Castiel looked him in the eyes with the utmost sincerity. "Really. It's not too late, Gabriel. You could still ask."

"He'd never say yes."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"You're making excuses."

"I-"

"Yes you are. And if you keep it up, you'll never get what you really want."

"But I-"

"Do what I did, and that way you'll know beforehand."

"I don't know, Cassie..."

"Fine. Don't do it. But don't blame me when you're looking back on this and wondering what might have been."

Gabriel sighed. His brother was right.

Man he hated that.

"Okay. What do I do?"

Castiel reopened their connection and showed Gabriel the dream Dean had had.

"Show it to him and see what happens."

Gabriel couldn't believe that he was even thinking about this, but he knew he had to try.

"Okay. I'll try."

 _Look out, Sam Winchester,_ thought Gabriel, _here I come._


	12. Feelings

**Author's Note: A late update is better than no update! Please Review!**

Castiel and Gabriel made small talk with one another until Dean woke up from his nap. Castiel appeared instantly at his side and plucked him out of the crib. He changed his diaper rather quickly before making sure the boy was latched onto his hip and carrying him back out to the living room. Castiel bounced Dean on his lap and spoke with his brother about matters going on in heaven while Dean looked around, mindlessly sucking his thumb and cuddling his blanket. When he started to get bored and whimper, Castiel set him down in his playpen and let him play with his toys.

Time passed by achingly slowly for Gabriel as he waited for nightfall to come over Georgia. He didn't have to leave his brother and nephew yet- not until Sam was asleep. And, judging from the time it was there, that wouldn't be happening for a while yet. So he busied himself with helping Castiel around the house. Between dealing with being tortured in his own home and dealing with a brain damaged little one, his brother had more than enough on his plate. So he decided to take care of the cooking and cleaning while Castiel kept watch over Dean.

When the time finally came for Gabriel to go to Sam, he couldn't kid himself anymore. He was afraid. He found it ridiculous- he was an archangel of the lord with all the powers of heaven at his disposal, and yet he was afraid of one human's reaction. It was absurd. And yet, he couldn't even laugh about it because he was too nervous.

Castiel wished him luck with his endeavor before he left. He took one last look at his brother and nephew together, and straightened up. They reminded him what he was fighting for. With a deep breath, he snapped his fingers and was gone, appearing in Sam's motel room. It was pitch black and the dead of night, but Gabriel knew he had to be extremely cautious. Sam was a hunter first and foremost. His instincts were honed to act at the slightest disturbance. Thankfully, being an angel gave him an advantage over the average Joe and he appeared right beside the boy.

Gabriel steeled himself for what he was about to do. He wasn't ready for it, and he was still completely terrified that he would be rejected, but he knew if he didn't try he's spend the rest of his life regretting that choice. He steadied his shaking hands and took a deep breath in. When he let it out, he knew this was as ready as he was ever going to get.

He shut his eyes and focused on his connection to Sam. Going over moments they spent together helped to forge that connection. He mulled over their first meeting when he was the trickster, their meeting during Dean's dozens of deaths in mystery spot, the moments they spoke when Gabriel trapped them in the television, and their final meeting before he supposedly died.

Then, like opening a door, the portal into Sam's mind was open. Before he let any of the dream Castiel showed him come through, he checked to make sure there were no identifying markers that could be traced to either himself or his brother. When he was satisfied, he started to let the dream play out like a movie in his mind. Then he sat back, watched, and waited.

Like any pair of brothers, there were some definite differences in reaction from what Dean did when he saw the nursery and what Sam did. Dean took to it like a duck to water. Sam on the other hand was less enthusiastic. He didn't find the crib or stuffed animals entertaining like his brother had. Instead, the bookshelf grabbed his attention. Every book from his childhood was on that shelf. He recalled Dean reading him those books many times and found himself nostalgic for those days when everything was simpler. So he went over to the shelf, grabbed a book, and started reading.

Then, like a ball to the face, it hit Gabriel. Maybe it wasn't that Sam wasn't interested in an arrangement like this. Maybe it was that Sam didn't regress as far back as Dean did. So Gabriel decided to test the theory. He replaced the crib with a race car bed, removed the diapers and replaced them with pull-ups, and loaded the room with books and every toy a little boy could possibly want.

Now that got Sam's attention.

Gabriel watched delightedly as Sam started playing with some of the toy soldiers on the floor. He got so involved with watching Sam have fun that the longing to be a part of it trumped the need to let him figure this out on his own. He slowly decided to let himself enter the dream, just to see what would happen. Sam was still laying on the floor when Gabriel came quietly through the door. Sam looked up at him, a little surprised, but he most definitely did not have the same level of shame and embarrassment that his brother had had over the subject. Maybe because little boys didn't need as much care as babies did. Sam acknowledged Gabriel's presence with a look, but didn't stop playing. Gabriel took that as a good sign, and stayed to watch over him. The hours went by faster than he anticipated, and before he knew it he was booted out of Sam's dream as he woke up.

Gabriel didn't bother trying to hide. He knew Sam would want to talk to him.

Sam sat up in bed, looking at him. "Did you...?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yes."

"Okay... Why?"

"Call it a hunch. If Dean wanted something like this I figured you wouldn't be far behind."

"So what, you just invaded my dream to test me?"

"That was the plan."

"Why didn't you just ask me."

Gabriel shot him a look and Sam relented. Okay maybe he had a point.

"This is Dean's thing. Not mine."

"It's okay if you want this too, Sam. I'd be more than willing to give it to you. If you'll have me, that is..."

"I... I don't know what to say..."

"Say yes."

Sam paused for a moment, every single possible disaster running through his mind. But he shoved the thoughts away and focused on his feelings. The safety he felt in the room, the calm that Gabriel's presence gave him, the joy of letting his cares go. He took a deep breath, and Gabriel tensed.

"Okay... Yes."


	13. Depend On Me

**Author's Note: lyrics in this chapter are "Believe It Or Not" by Joey Scarbury and "Depend On Me" by Babel Fish.**

Castiel had just finished cooking breakfast when he heard the front door open. He sat Dean's plate of eggs down on the table, knowing that he'd make a mess with his food wether he fed him or not, and waited. Gabriel came swaggering through the door, singing:

"Believe it or not,  
I'm walking on air  
I never thought I could feel so free  
Flying away on a wing and a prayer  
Who could it be?  
Believe it or not it's just me."

Castiel took a step toward his brother, but was careful to remain in Dean's purview. He knew if he got out of sight, the boy would begin to scream. Gabriel shot him a smile, and Castiel smirked slightly.

"I take it things went well?"

Gabriel smiled proudly. "You're not the only papa on the block now, Cassie."

Castiel smiled a true, genuine smile and gave his brother a hug. "Congratulations, Gabriel. You'll be a wonderful father." The words were said with sincerity, and Gabriel was touched by that.

"Thanks Cas."

As anticipated, Gabriel launched into an in depth description of how everything went. Castiel sat down at the kitchen table, listening intently to him while still keeping a sharp eye on Dean. Although he normally wouldn't have let him play with his food, he had started healing treatments for his brain yesterday, and he had wanted to start with getting back his motor skills. So he allowed the boy to feed himself, just to see if he could. By some miracle, it worked. Dean was able to feed himself. Even though he got far more on him than in him, Cas didn't mind the clean up. His boy was heading in the right direction, and that was what mattered. When Gabriel finished his tale, he looked over at his nephew who was covered in bits of egg, and couldn't help but smile. Castiel wiped Dean's face off and took the dirty dish to the kitchen while Dean was distracted by his uncle. He reached up to Gabriel, smiling.

"Hey there, Dean-o." He said, picking him up and carrying him to the couch. "I saw you got to feed yourself today. You did good, kid." He said, ruffling his hair affectionately. Dean didn't say anything, but Gabriel could tell he understood. That brought up an interesting point to his mind.

"Hey Cassie?"

"What is it Gabriel?"

"Why did you choose to fix his motor skills first?"

He looked down at Dean, and when he felt that he was sufficiently distracted, he gave Gabriel a short but sweet answer.

"In case he needed to fight. If Azrael is planning an attack, he would need to be ready. He needs the motor skills more than the communication, since you and I can look into his mind to see what he wants."

Gabriel understood his logic, but still found it unsettling. Castiel took notice and added:

"Once his motor skills are back I'll focus on his speech."

That seemed to satisfy his brother, and Castiel sat beside him. As soon as Dean caught sight of him, he crawled into his lap. Gabriel chuckled.

"A little clingy, isn't he?" Castiel shrugged.

"You get used to it." Briefly, Gabriel wondered if he ever would. Castiel continued on. "You know Gabriel, you're more than welcome to bring Sam here. This place doesn't just have to be for Dean's benefit. A little reconstruction and it would be perfect, and with your power that shouldn't be a problem."

Gabriel was surprised by the offer, but it did make sense. After a moment of quiet, Dean perked up and cooed. Gabriel looked down at him to see him looking up at him with pleading eyes. Although he couldn't verbally communicate yet, Gabriel could tell he understood what was going on. One look from his nephew was all it took for him to make a decision.

"Let's do it."

Gabriel spent the next few hours manipulating the house to his liking, creating two new rooms and deciding how to design them. That left Castiel some alone time with Dean. After some playtime and lunch, it was time for a nap, but Dean wasn't having any of it. He fussed and whined his way into the nursery, where his Daddy was desperately trying to get him down for a nap. He was so focused on getting Dean to sleep, feel didn't hear the bell ring, or the front door open and shut. Then, a brilliant idea came to him. He could sing him a lullaby. But he didn't want to sing him "Hey, Jude". That was a special thing he shared with his mother, he couldn't violate the sanctity of that bond, so he started singing a new lullaby.

When the door was opened by an irritated Gabriel, Sam and Bobby walked into the cabin. Upon seeing Bobby, Gabriel's disposition changed, and he tried to connect with his brother to warn him, but Castiel wasn't answering him.

"Bobby, are you sure you want to do this?" Asked Sam.

"Of course I am you Idgit!"

Sam raised his hands in defeat. "Alright, fine." He looked over at Gabriel (squirming internally after remembering their last meeting) and asked him where his brother was.

"Cassie's trying to get him to sleep, but you know how he is. He won't go down without a fight. You can go see if he's still awake, but if you wake him up, Cassie will tan your Hyde."

Bobby rolled his eyes and walked down the hall, Sam following him.

"Don't say I never did anything for you!" He called after them.

Bobby only stopped when he heard murmuring from behind the door. He opened it a bit and looked in to see Castiel sitting in a rocking chair, Dean laying in his lap, clinging to Cas' shirt, trying to desperately fight off sleep as the Angel sang to him.

"Sleep, baby sleep Stars are shining above you  
I feel complete as I whisper "I love you"  
Son, I'll be there, I will take good care of you  
Till the end you can depend on me

I'll be your rock,  
I'll have your back  
If you go off the beaten track  
I can't say how your life will be  
But there's one thing I guarantee:  
You can depend on me."

By the end of the chorus Dean was out cold. In a rare moment of affection, Castiel pressed a kiss to Dean's forehead before getting up as carefully and quietly as possible before laying him down in the crib. He gently pried each finger from his shirt and quickly replaced it with his beloved blanket. He ran his hand through Dean's hair affectionately before putting up the side bars of the crib. He took one last look at Dean before turning the light off and closing the door to let his son sleep.

When he finally got back out to the living room, he saw Bobby and Sam waiting for him on the couch.


	14. Strategy

**Author's Note: Well guys, I've been planning this and the next chapter since the beginning, and I'm so excited to see what you guys think of them! Don't be shy! Review and make my day!**

 **Corgimom: Thank you so so SO much for being my first official review! I'm so glad that you're liking the story so far! I hope this chapter is no different!**

Castiel was calm in the face of Bobby's perplexed expression and Sam's contrite one.

"Wanna tell me what's going on here?"

"Not particularly, but I know that Dean cares about you, so I'll explain."

Castiel went through the process of regaling the past few weeks to him. Bobby looked surprised at a few parts but was otherwise stoic. Considering everything he'd faced in his life, that was unsurprising. When he was done, he stood silently, waiting for a reply.

"Is he happy?" Asked Bobby.

Castiel nodded. "More than I've ever seen him."

"Then I'm happy for him." He paused. "And you."

Castiel looked surprised. "Thank you."

Bobby nodded. Sam seemed to relax after that. The three of them talked with one another until someone started banging desperately on the cabin door.

"Let me in, let me in, let me in!" Cried a girl.

Sam opened the door and she ran inside.

"Please help me! Something's after me! I was camping out on the mountain with my fiancé, but he disappeared. I thought I heard him calling me, so I went out to look for him, and something tried to grab me. I managed to cut it and I guess it got scared and left. I barely got away... Can you help me?"

Bobby came up to Sam and nodded. "We can. Come in."

Bobby and Sam comforted the girl before deciding to take her back to her camp. Gabriel, who had been watching the scene from afar was on the fence about going with them, but one thought pushed him over the edge: Sam was going and might need him. Sure, they hadn't gotten to spend any time together since the motel visit and maybe Sam wasn't as dependent as Dean was, but Gabriel saw Sam as his responsibility. He would never be able to forgive himself if he didn't do all he could to keep him safe. He checked to see if his brother would be okay, and Castiel reassured him that he'd be fine. So the three of them packed some supplies before heading out to hike down the mountain.

A full day went by with noting unusual happening. He hadn't heard from his brother or friends, but assumed that they were busy or that the cell phone connection was awful. Castiel went about his day normally, giving Dean another healing treatment before settling him down for a nap.

It was about two in the afternoon when he heard Dean let out a cry. A chill ran down his spine. Something was wrong. Terribly and horribly wrong. He flew to Dean's room as fast as he could to see another angel looming over his crib.

"Let him go!" He commanded, letting his blade fall into his grip. "Who are you?" Castiel demanded, Angel blade drawn.

The stranger lifted his head up, indicating he'd heard him, before turning around.

"Hello Castiel."

The man who stood before him was a white man in his thirties who was a bit on the thin side. His suit was black and tailored to fit, with a black silk tie that looked very expensive encircling his neck. His hair was Raven black and coiffed back with pomade. He carried with him a small scythe that was sized appropriately for his hand. His eyes were suspiciously calm.

"I won't ask you again." He warned. "Who are you?!"

"I am the one you seek!" He boomed. A stunned silence followed, and even Dean stopped his wailing for a moment before picking back up again. Castiel lowered his weapon slightly.

"You're..."

"Azrael. Pleasure to meet you. At least it would be if I were here under better circumstances."

"Why are you here?

"To finish what my two servants were too stupid to do: I'm going to kill you, Castiel."

"Why? What threat do I pose to you? I want nothing to do with the politics in heaven. I'm done with that part of my life. It doesn't matter to me anymore."

"You've been known to lead rebellions, Castiel. Which makes you a threat to my plan. I've gotten all the power I can from heaven. Now all there's left to do is to weed out any bad seeds. And you, Castiel, are as bad as they come. So bad, in fact, that I insisted on coming here myself so that I could deal with you personally. You should feel... What's the human word for that again? Flattered? Yes, that's it."

Castiel's eyes flashed as a new revelation struck him. "That girl was working for you so that you could get me alone."

Azrael smirked. "How quickly they catch on. Yes, that was the plan."

"You make me sick." Cas sneered. "If you want to kill me fine, but get away from him!"

"I can't do that."

"Why not?" He hissed angrily.

"Because that would take all the fun out of it. I like to play with my prey before I eat them. To see the fear and concern in your eyes for your son is delicious to me. It reminds me of why I love my job." That seemed to turn on a switch inside him. "Speaking of which, I think I ought to start doing my job." He clenched the scythe in his fist and it instantly grew into a full size version of itself. Castiel half expected him for Azrael to just go for his head, but he surprised him by leaning his staff against the wall and pulling out his own Angel blade. Castiel looked at him quizzically, and Azrael shrugged. "It's just for fun." He said.

Azrael tried to swipe him across the stomach, but Cas jumped back just in time. Castiel ducked as Azrael threw the knife at his head like a dart board, only to have it get stuck in the door. Castiel saw the chance to go offensive and took it, swinging the blade in a diagonal swiping motion. It didn't hit Azrael directly, but it did put a tear in his suit. It wasn't necessarily good, but it was a start. Azrael spun around, grabbed the blade, and narrowly dodged a stab to his side and then drove his own blade into Castiel's stomach- so deep that only the hilt was seen by the naked eye. Kicking the knife away, he punched him twice: once in the right eye, and a hook to the cheek before he was knocked down. Castiel expected to go in a flash of light and leave the world behind him, but nothing happened. So he stood protectively in front of Dean's crib and asked:

"Why aren't I dead?"

"Because I don't want you dead. Not yet."

"I don't understand..."

"What part of "archangel of death" is too complicated for you to understand? Death and his reapers take care of the human souls when they die. What do you think my job is? Same deal, only with our species. I control the when, where, and how. I'm the master of ceremonies, and I am, simply put, the master of your fate. The bottom line is that you don't die until I say so. I decide when you die- and that's why I love my job."

Castiel looked at him angrily. "You don't have to be ruled by fate. You can choose freedom." He said, echoing the words he's said to a friend a few years ago.

Azrael chuckled. "Is that what you tell yourself to rationalize the choices you've made? The lives you've destroyed? It's my duty to end lives, not yours. Just for that, We're going to take this nice and slow."

Azrael took the handle of the knife and twisted it, making Castiel cry out in agony. He slowly pulled it out, and waited for the other Angel to get up before doing anything else with the blade. He ran it down Castiel's cheek to his chin and then teased him by rubbing the blade against his neck- particularly the jugular vein. Then, with the swiftness of a cheetah, he slashed Castiel across the chest, watching as the blood began to come out. As Castiel looked into the eyes of his captor, he knew the end was coming for him, just not nearly as quickly as he would have hoped.


	15. Strength

**Author's note: You guys have no idea how many times I went back and edited this thing to make it perfect. So please enjoy it and Review! :)**

Castiel spent the next hour of his life being tormented. Each and every time Azrael knocked him down, he got back up, determined to protect the boy who was still crying Behind him. The physical pain that was already harsh, but the emotional pain from hearing his child scream and cry like that was unbearable. But he kept getting up every time, even when it got to the point when he could barely stand up and was supporting himself by the side of the crib.

It was around that time when Bobby, Gabriel, and Sam returned home. As it turned out, the girl (whose name was Ariel) had been hunted by a Wendigo. It had taken all night but they had managed to find the wendigo's cave dwelling and Ariel's fiancé Nick, who was somehow still alive. Once they cut him down, they made a break for the exit, but the Wendigo tried to attack them. Thankfully, Bobby had come prepared and brought a flame thrower and a five gallon tank of propane. Sam doused the creature in gas and Bobby lit him up like a Christmas fire. The five of them made their escape out of the cave and eventually the three of them led the couple to the ranger station so that they could get out of there before coming home.

It was only when they were completely inside that they heard the distressed wailing, and started running toward the nursery. They got there just in time to see Castiel being stabbed in the stomach yet again. Castiel was a sight to behold. His eyes were black and his face was bruised and cut in places. He'd been stabbed so much that his clothes were drenched red with blood, making him eerily similar to Carrie White on prom night. His entire body was trembling as he forced himself up again. Azrael smirked. Gabriel was about to make a move to intervene when Azrael held up a hand.

"Ah ah ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you. If any one of you takes another step forward, he dies."

To prove his point, Azrael snapped his fingers. Castiel fell to his knees and began gasping for air, and his complexion turned from normal to blue. He left him like that for a few seconds to make his point. Then Azrael snapped his fingers again, and Castiel could breathe. Azrael yanked him close to him by the collar of his shirt.

"Let me be clear: the only reason you're still alive is because I find you amusing. The minute that ceases to be true, I will kill you, and the human you are so desperate to protect." He hissed.

"Do whatever you want to me, but please, let my son go. He's innocent. Please... He's just a boy." His voice was a tremulous falsetto. A single tear dripped down his cheek, just big enough to be seen by Gabriel, Sam, and Bobby, who were crowding the doorway. Azrael looked at him in a way that made him sick to his stomach.

"There's no fun in letting him live."

"You take me. Just take me." Castiel begged, unconsciously mirroring the words his vessel Jimmy had said when protecting his own child, Claire.

"Sorry. Not how it works." He said, letting Castiel go. Once again, Castiel shakily got to his feet.

"I don't care what you do to me, I won't let you hurt him."

Azrael's eyes flashed with indignation. "You won't have a choice."

Azrael took his blade and slashed Castiel's neck. It wasn't deep enough to kill him or even sever anything, but it was enough to get the blood flowing down his neck. He fell to the ground, instinctively trying to cover the wound.

Only one noise pierced the deafening silence that followed: a small voice hoarse from screaming and crying yelling "Daddy!".

For Castiel, the moment was one that was frozen in time. Everything stopped. It was the instant when everything changed. They all saw a spark flash through Castiel's eyes, and he suddenly got up as if none of the torture had ever happened to him. The word had sparked something inside of him, and suddenly he felt a power like nothing he had ever felt before coursing through his veins. He opened his connection with his brother and told him his plan in case the first one didn't work out. Then He stood up perfectly straight. He took a step toward the archangel, staring him straight in the eye. Suddenly, Dean was perfectly silent.

"You have five seconds to get out of my house."

Azrael seemed surprised, but was not intimidated. "Or what?"

"Or I'll gut you like the spineless snake you are."

Azrael laughed. "You're going to kill the Archangel of death? How amusing."

"Just watch me." He suddenly grabbed the scythe leaning against the wall and swung. It landed right where he'd planned: in the stomach. He was hoping the scythe would kill him as it had Death, but he would settle for shock. While he was stunned by the blow, Castiel quickly pushed him out into the hall and into the foyer, right in the middle of a circle of holy oil. Bobby did the honors of lighting it up, and Azrael looked at him irritably.

"So now you've got me in your little circle. This fire won't last forever, so what are you going to do? You can't kill me. Not even with my own scythe." He said confidently. Briefly, Castiel wondered why the scythe wouldn't work, but pushed the thought aside.

Castiel stepped as close as he could to him, rage evident in his eyes. "Oh, I'm not going to kill you."

"Really?"

"Yes." He paused when he saw Azrael's smirk. "That would be too easy." The smirk fell. Castiel's face was inches from his when he said, "but by the time I'm finished with you, you're going to wish you were dead."

Castiel didn't miss the flash of fear that went through his eyes before he replaced it with a do-whatever-you-want-to-me-I-still-won't-talk look.

He started off by using the scythe to cut his neck and then inserting a syringe to drain his grace. Gabriel helped him get it into a bottle before he put the fire out. Now his powers were gone. But before he put it out he enchanted a chair with cuffs on it to keep him from connecting to his brethren and keep him in place before shackling him in. Castiel loomed over him, radiating power.

"Let's start with a simple question: how did you manage to get in here?"

The question didn't even phase him. "Simple. Ariel made sure that Gabriel pricked his finger on a blade. She captured the tiniest bit of his grace and I used it to unlock the house."

"But how did you get in without my seeing you?"

"I'm death. I come in many forms, including a mist that can travel under your door."

"Who else knows you're here?"

Azrael was silent at that. Castiel grabbed the scythe and cut his cheek.

"Who else knows you're here?!"

He punched Azrael in the face. Nothing. He was about to do more when he heard Dean start to cry again and sighed.

"Gabriel, would you mind taking over here?"

"Not at all." He said. Castiel handed him the scythe and he grinned. Before he could do anything more, Gabriel grabbed him by the shoulder and put a hand to his forehead, healing his minor injuries and cleaning up the major ones. He looked like himself again. Gabriel nodded approvingly and let him go.

Azrael chuckled. "So this is it? All that threatening for you to just leave me with some babysitter?!"

Castiel paused and turned around. "I'm a father. I put my son first above everything and everyone. He means everything to me, and I would do anything for him, as you've seen." He stopped for a moment before continuing. "Our father should have done the same thing for you. He should have done it for all of us, but he didn't. And I'm disappointed that he didn't. You'll never know that kind of love. For that reason and that reason only, I feel sorry for you."

With that, he turned back around and went to see his son.


	16. Calls Me Dad

**Author's Note: This chapter was inspired by the song "Calls Me Dad" by Jelly Roll. I hope you all enjoy it!**

Castiel walked into the nursery and felt himself grimace at the blood that stained the carpet and was on the crib bars. He took a second to wipe all the evidence away with his grace before picking Dean up out of the crib. He sat down in the rocking chair and cradled the crying boy in his lap. He ran his hand through Dean's hair, hushing him quietly as he rocked back and forth.

"Shhh. It's okay baby." He soothed, rubbing circles on Dean's back. "Everything's okay now. It's over. He won't ever lay a hand on you again. I promise."

Dean looked up at him pleadingly, trying to communicate with him. Castiel opened the connection between them and saw his thoughts focused on Sam's face.

"Sam is fine." He assured him. The face switched to Bobby. "He's fine too. And before you ask, so is Uncle Gabe."

That seemed to pacify him, and his sobs slowly quieted.

"I'm so proud of you, baby boy. You did so well. I know that was hard for you to watch but you did the right thing."

Unable to help himself, Castiel did the only thing he could think of and pressed a gentle kiss to his son's forehead. Although he'd done it before, he'd never done it while Dean was awake. There were no words to express the deep love he had for his child. He hoped that that simple action said it all. Dean looked up at him with a bright smile, and suddenly all the pain had been worth it. This was what he had fought so hard to protect. This was why he got back up after being knocked down. This was his reason for living.

He watched Dean stick his thumb into his mouth and start sucking. For a few minutes he stayed like that while Cas stroked his hair and whispered reassurances in his ear. Dean calmed significantly. There came a point when Dean looked up at him and put a hand to his cheek to get his attention. Castiel opened the connection and saw him thinking of Sam, Bobby, and Gabriel with longing.

"Do you want to go see them?" He asked. Dean nodded.

"Alright buddy, let's go see them."

He stood up and settled Dean on his hip. He told Gabriel to make Azrael scarce, and then carried his son out to the living room. Sam and Bobby were sitting on the couch. Dean frowned and looked up at his Daddy.

"Uncle Gabe will be back soon." He promised. Dean nodded, and Castiel sat him down on the couch. Dean gave Sam a tight hug, and Sam was happy to do the same. He noted that although Dean was hugging him, his eyes never left Castiel. It was like he thought the man would disappear if he was out of his sight. After everything Dean had seen today, Sam couldn't blame him. Although Bobby wasn't necessarily the most affectionate person on the planet, he pushed it aside and pulled him into an embrace. When he pulled back, Dean was smiling happily, and Bobby couldn't help but smile back. The kid was good. Dean reached out and gripped the bottom of his Daddy's trench coat as if it were his favorite blanket. He wanted to make sure nothing could ever hurt him like Azrael had ever again, and the best way to do that was to keep him close. Before he could think anymore on the subject, Gabriel appeared in the room, and he instinctively reached up for his Uncle to pick him up. Gabriel Ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Hey there, Dean-o. Miss me?" He asked, picking up his nephew. Dean nodded and gave him a hug. Castiel gave him a look, silently asking about Azrael. Gabriel nodded, and Cas relaxed. Dean looked over at his Daddy worriedly, but Cas just smiled serenely at him. He reached out to him and grabbed a fistful of his coat to make sure he didn't leave. Gabriel noticed this and lifted Dean's chin up.

"Relax, bud. Cassie won't be going anywhere without you anytime soon." He promised. Dean looked at his Daddy, who nodded reassuringly. That made him feel much better. He smiled up at his Uncle, who couldn't help smiling back.

All of a sudden, the lights began to flicker. Bobby and Sam were up on their feet instantly, but Dean was perfectly content. He knew who it was and waited patiently for her to appear.

Mary Winchester appeared, stunning Bobby, and surprising Sam. But not Dean. He reached eagerly for her, giggling happily. She smiled at him and reached out to stroke his cheek. She cuddled him for a minute or so before walking up to Castiel.

"Thank you so much for protecting my baby."

"Anytime." He said sincerely.

She smiled at him and it made him feel like even though he had suffered so much today, he had done the right thing. It was empowering. She went back over to Dean and smothered him with hugs and kisses. Castiel briefly wondered what had triggered her appearance. He thought about the last time she had come, and then the answer occurred to him: She came when Dean was in great distress. She knew when he needed another parent besides himself, and he felt grateful for her empathy. Mary whispered reassurances in her son's ear and gave him a kiss before turning to her younger son. She gave him a kiss and looked at him like he was the most precious thing in the world. Then, with one last look at her boys, she vanished into the air.

Dean and Sam stared after her for a moment with longing before returning to reality. Then, Dean reached back out for his Daddy, who happily took him into his arms. Castiel planted a kiss on his forehead and smiled down at his son. Dean snuggled into the warmth of his chest. He was safe. Finally, he was safe at last.


	17. Seen

**Author's Note: Time for a fluffy chapter! Woo!**

It didn't take much for Dean to fall asleep right there in Castiel's arms. Considering that his nap had been interrupted and he'd spent the past three hours in tears, the angel wasn't surprised. So he sat down on the couch with Dean in his lap, never moving a muscle. The entire room was quiet. Gabriel told his brother that he would be back later, but had to deal with Azrael. Castiel silently thanked him for his help before he disappeared.

For a long time, the room was quiet. Dean moved around occasionally, but never very much. It wasn't until he started whimpering that they started talking again. Dean turned in Cas' lap and the angel could see the distress on his face. Guilt washed over him like a tidal wave. One more whimper was all it took to break his resolve, and he placed his hand on his forehead to pump waves of soothing grace into him. He relaxed immediately and Castiel sighed in relief.

"What happened to trying not to use your powers?" Asked Sam.

Castiel opened the connection between them. _We already tried that and were found anyway. This day has been too much for all of us, but especially Dean. He needs a break._

Sam nodded. _Yeah, he does._

The silence stretched out again until Gabriel returned from his trip.

 _How did it go?_ Asked Castiel.

 _Better than expected. I got answers. Now that I know what I need to, I put him back in Heaven's jail._

 _Good. He belongs there._

 _Yes he does. What did-  
_  
Cas was cut off by Dean stirring in his lap. He opened up his eyes blearily and looked around, smiling at the sight of his Daddy watching over him.

 _We'll discuss this later.  
_  
Gabriel nodded, and looked at his nephew.

"Hey there, baby boy." Castiel greeted. Dean smiled up at him, then frowned. Castiel didn't need to look into his mind to see the problem. He got up from the couch and picked Dean up to carry him to the nursery. All was well, but when they passed Gabriel, Dean reached out for him, grabbing his shirt and looking up at him with pleading eyes. Gabriel followed his little brother and nephew into the nursery. It only took a slight brush against Dean's mind for him to understand what he was thinking. He was scared to go back in without protection. Gabriel was fine with being a protective detail. If it made Dean feel better, then fine. Castiel laid Dean down on the changing table and started changing him. He heard Dean whimper and saw him reach out for something. He looked over to see Dean's beloved blanket in the crib. He snapped his fingers and it appeared in his grip. Dean nuzzled it happily as his Daddy finished changing him. Castiel picked him up and settled him on his hip.

"All done. Feel better?" He asked. Dean nodded, putting his thumb in his mouth. Gabriel chuckled as they went back out to the living room.

"You spoil him, Cassie. Even more than I do- and that's _my_ job! I get to be the cool uncle who always gives presents. How am I supposed to do that with you beating me to the punch?"

"Once you have a child, you'll understand. You'll be just as overprotective, nurturing, and emotional as me. Maybe you'll even be worse."

Gabriel's eyebrows shot up. "Is that a challenge I hear?"

"Not a challenge... More of a bet, I suppose."

"I'm always up for a bet. What are the terms?"

"Give it a month. If you aren't as involved with Your child as I am with Dean, I'll take both of them on a- what's the term again?- shopping spree?"

"And what do I get out of it?"

"What do you want?"

"Bragging rights. I get to be known as the more stern parent."

"Fine. And if I win, I get the same thing."

"Deal. It's a gentleman's bet." Said Gabriel, and they shook hands as they got to the living room. Dean reached up to pat his Daddy's cheek.

"What is it, baby boy?" He asked gently. He peered into Dean's mind and saw what he wanted.

"Ah. Well, you'll have to ask your Uncle Gabe, won't you?"

Dean turned to look at his uncle with pleading eyes.

Gabriel brushed his mind and saw the image of hot pecan pie at the forefront of it. He laughed and ruffled his nephew's hair.

"Alright squirt. You got it."

With a snap of his fingers, a pecan pie appeared on the kitchen table. Castiel laughed at the look on his face, and Sam and Bobby didn't miss it either. After they all had a piece of the pie, Bobby decided that it was time for him to get back to the auto shop. After saying his goodbyes and promising to be back with reinforcements should anything happen to Dean, Gabriel easily took him back home and was back before Dean even noticed he was gone. Now that it was just the four of them, Gabriel could finally begin the process of becoming a father to Sam. However, even though he was an angel, he still felt a deep-seeded sense of nervousness about how to begin. A hand lightly squeezed his shoulder encouragingly, and he looked to see Castiel standing behind him, giving him a reassuring nod. Gabriel nodded, and then looked over at Sam, who had his nose buried in a book.

"Sam?" He said in a gentle yet authoritative voice. Sam looked up from his book curiously.

"Yeah?"

"I have a surprise for you. Come with me."

Sam followed Gabriel down the hall past the nursery to a wing he'd never seen before, with Castiel and Dean trailing behind him. He stopped at the first door after the nursery and opened it up.

Sam took a step inside, and was amazed.

It was a room fit for a five year old child. There was a race car bed with matching sheets and curtains for the Windows. Next to that was a nightstand with a bedside table lamp. Adjacent to the bed and nightstand was a large closet stocked with children's clothes, but still had half a rack empty for Sam's adult clothing. Across from the bed was a desk and lamp stocked full with coloring books, paper, and art supplies, and a dresser. Finally, on the right side of the bed, there was a bookshelf filled with every children's book Sam had ever loved as a child, and an open trunk filled with more toys than Sam could ever imagine.

Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Welcome home."


	18. Love

**Author's Note: Dude 1231: Thank You so much for reviewing! I hope you love this chapter!**

Sam stood in for doorway, looking at the room in awe. In his wildest dreams he couldn't have imagined something so incredible. He wanted to say something, anything to express the whirlwind of emotions that were filling his chest, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. Gabriel waited anxiously waited for some sign of how he was feeling, but there wasn't anything. So he opened the connection between them and risked a brush against Sam's mind. That told him what he wanted to know, and he was able to relax a little.

Finally, Sam spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

"This is... I can't... I don't know what to say..." He stuttered.

Gabriel squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, and it was only then that Sam remembered that he wasn't the only one in the room. He turned on his heels and surprised Gabriel by wrapping him in a tight hug.

"Thank you." He whispered. "Thank you."

"Anytime." The angel replied sincerely. Gabriel didn't have a word to express the warmth that came with the hug or for the way his chest constricted with happiness, but he supposed he didn't need one. Sam let go of him and started to explore the new room while Gabriel turned back to Castiel and Dean. Cas grinned at his brother and clapped him on the back.

"That feeling you didn't have a word for is called love."

"Were you just reading my thoughts?"

"Maybe."

"I take offense to that."

"Really? Because you do it to me every day. Not so fun to be on the receiving end of it, is it?"

Gabriel grumbled in reply. Castiel just smirked, then turned to watch Sam. It was clear that the boy didn't know where to start. Castiel looked into his brother's mind and told him to go and help him. Gabriel looked at him questioningly, and Castiel gently pushed him forward. Sam was busy looking at the bookshelf and Gabriel went over to sit by him.

"Find one you like?" He asked.

Sam nodded. "More than one. I loved all of these when I was a kid."

"I know. That's why I picked them."

A slight look of surprise flickered across Sam's face before he smiled. "Really?"

Gabriel nodded. "Want to read one together?"

Sam smiled and nodded. "Mhm."

Gabriel grinned. "Alright. Pick out your favorite one and I'll read it with you."

Sam scanned the shelf and pulled out a personal favorite: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

"Good Choice." Gabriel praised. Sam couldn't help the pride that swelled in his chest at the words. He sat down on the bed with Sam next to him, and started to read aloud.

"Once there was a tree..."

Castiel smiled, happy to see the pair of them bonding, and carried Dean back out to the living room. He whimpered a bit at leaving, but Castiel was quick to hush him.

"Uncle Gabe and Sammy need some time together, okay baby boy?"

Dean frowned but nodded. Castiel settled him on his lap and cuddled with him. While the two of them busied themselves with that, Gabriel had his hands full with Sam. When the story was done, Sam was happy. He hadn't heard that story in years. It took him back to a time when he felt safe and cared for. When Gabriel put the book back on the shelf, Sam frowned. He didn't want it to be over so soon. Gabriel turned to Sam expectantly.

"Is there anything else you want to do?"

Sam shrugged, and Gabriel knew it was time to take the reins for himself.

"How about getting into something more comfortable."

"Like what?"

"How about some pajamas?"

Sam nodded. "Okay."

"Do you want to do it yourself or do you need a hand?"

"I'm okay. Thanks." Gabriel nodded, and then went to stand outside the door. When it opened again, Sam was in a pair of little boy pjs and, although Gabriel could never say it out loud, looked adorable.

"How about you color for awhile while me and Cassie start dinner?"

Sam nodded, and started getting into his art supplies before bringing them out to the living room. Dean was still in Castiel's lap when he arrived. Castiel smiled and sat Dean on the floor so that he could play with his brother. Gabriel came out shortly after and ushered his brother into the kitchen. As they started preparing dinner, they switched into their native language of enochian.

"So what did Azrael say?" Asked Castiel.

"I found out why the scythe couldn't kill him."

"Really? Why?"

"He said only a virtuous soul can destroy him."

"What did he mean by virtuous?"

"I don't know. He lost consciousness before I could find out."

"And his grace?"

"Don't worry. I've got it stashed where no one will ever find it."

"You're sure of that?"

"Oh ye of little faith. Yes I'm sure." Said Gabriel, rolling his eyes.

They worked in silence for a few minutes before Castiel spoke again.

"How are things going with Sam?"

"Good. Really good."

"I told you you'd be fine."

"I know." Gabriel paused. "When I pictured this I could have never imagined what it would really feel like. I don't know how you stand it, Cassie. All those feelings..."

"I never said it was easy. But every second with him is a gift. Never forget that."

"I won't." He promised.

They finished making dinner for the two boys and served them their food. Castiel fed Dean his portion while Gabriel merely observed Sam eating his. When dinner was done, they watched over the boys as they played together. When both of them began yawning, the angels took the hint and put their boys to bed.

Gabriel led Sam to his new bedroom and pulled back the covers before letting Sam climb in. Instantly, a sleepy look came over Sam's face. Then Gabriel tucked him in and smiled down at him.

"Goodnight Sam."

"Goodnight." He said, smiling. Gabriel was about to turn out the light when Sam stopped him.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"Will you read me another story?"

Gabriel smiled. "Sure." He grabbed a classic from the bookshelf and started to read.

"Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown."

The story began, and Sam's eyelids were quickly fluttering shut. When the book was done, he was sure Sam was asleep. He put it back on the shelf, carefully got up from the bed, and turned out the light, taking one last look at him.

"Goodnight Sammy." He whispered. He was about to close the door when a voice almost too quiet for him to hear, said:

"Goodnight Daddy."

Gabriel couldn't stop smiling.


	19. Fatherhood

Gabriel walked into the living room with the most ridiculous grin on his face. When he got there, he saw Castiel sitting on the couch waiting for him. Castiel took one look at his brother and broke into a smile. He knew exactly what it meant.

"He called you Daddy, didn't he?" Castiel said knowingly. Gabriel was still grinning while he nodded.

"Yeah."

Castiel grinned and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Congratulations, brother." He said. Gabriel nodded his thanks and then conjured up two beers. He handed his brother a beer before popping it open, clinking bottles with him, and taking a swig.

"Is Dean-o doing okay?" He asked after a brief moment of silence.

"It was a fight to get him to sleep but eventually I got him down."

"Poor kid."

Castiel sighed. "Yes. And if I know him as well as I think I do he'll be up a few more times tonight."

"I believe it." Said Gabriel, still grinning like an idiot. Castiel smiled.

"I've noticed a change in you already." He said, changing the subject. Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're so much happier, Gabriel. Just look at the smile on your face." The second he mentioned it he tried to wipe it away, but just couldn't find the willpower.

"Get to the point, Cassie."

"The point is simple: fatherhood changes you. It changed me too."

Gabriel chuckled. "I never thought you'd be saying something like that to me." Cas nodded.

"It surprised me too. But you're doing so well. You should be proud."

Gabriel took another drink of beer. "I am proud. Of him and of myself." He paused for a moment, reflecting on the whole idea. "You know something, Cassie? I watched you doing this stuff with Dean for a while before I ever considered getting a kid of my own. You seemed so happy and so excited about everything, and you had this... This joy around you that wasn't there before. I saw it and I wanted it so much but I didn't know how to get it. And then I got the idea, and when Sam said yes it was like this door opened and suddenly there was this whole new world for me to explore. I had no idea how this felt, but now that I know... I don't think I'll ever be the same..." He finished quietly.

"That's what fatherhood is supposed to be." Cas commented. "We didn't necessarily get the best example, but the fact that we became the best example speaks volumes."

"I wonder what dad would think about having grandchildren." Gabriel wondered aloud. Castiel took a long drink of beer.

"Who knows? Maybe he knows. Maybe he'll come see them someday."

"Yeah, and maybe Azrael will stop trying to take over heaven." He said sarcastically.

Castiel conceded and put down his beer bottle.

"When I became a father, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing." He admitted. "I don't think I've ever felt so unprepared for something in my entire existence. Having someone- let alone a Winchester- put that much trust in you and make themselves so vulnerable is absolutely terrifying. There were a few times when I wondered if I was doing the right thing, and more than a few times when I almost gave it all up. But the first time he called me Daddy changed everything. Suddenly it wasn't just about me anymore. I had to take Dean into account for almost every decision I made. Every time he called me Daddy afterward just validated all the hard work that I'd done. It made everything worth it. But it was more than just decisions and making preparations. There was this burst of emotion that came with it all and I wasn't ready for it. The protectiveness, the understanding, the wisdom, but most of all the unconditional love. In all my years of living I have never loved anything more than I have loved that boy." He said honestly.

Gabriel finished his beer and set the bottle down on the coffee table with a thunk.

"I hear ya, Cassie. I do." He Said. Although he hadn't quite reached that level of emotional involvement with Sam yet, he had a feeling that he would be there sooner than he thought. "You're a good Dad, Castiel." He Said.

Cas smiled. "You're not so bad yourself."

Gabriel smirked. "I don't know how you do it, bro. One day with the kid and I'm already worn out. How can you do this every single day?" He questioned.

"It isn't easy, but at the end of the day when I put him into bed, I feel like I've accomplished something. I've managed to make his world a little brighter, even if it's just for one day. To know he looks up to me like I'm his hero makes me feel this sense of completeness that I can't begin to understand."

"Look at you getting all deep on me. I'm the big brother here, I'm supposed to teach you something. And look at you now, schooling me in parenting." Gabriel joked. Castiel smiled a little.

"You'll be a good dad, Gabriel. You're good at lightening people up. From what I've seen, Sam needs to have a little more fun in his life. If anyone can do that, it's you."

"Thanks, Cassie."

"Anytime, brother."

The two of them shared a smile. Castiel finished the rest of the beer and threw both bottles into the trash. Almost as soon as he sat back down, a loud cry distracted him from his conversation with his brother and he sighed.

"Duty calls." He murmured, getting up from the couch. Before he could move, Gabriel grabbed him gently by the wrist and Castiel turned to look at him.

"Keep that kid safe, okay? I'll be here if you need me." Castiel nodded his thanks to his big brother and then flew off to take care of his son.


	20. Care

Castiel got up four times that night to tend to his screaming son. The next morning came far too soon for everyone's liking, but it did hold promise for all of them. The next day was Sam's first real day as Gabriel's son. Much like Castiel before him, Gabriel aimed to make this day as special as possible.

The second Sam woke up, Gabriel was there.

"Morning, Sammy." He said. Sam rubbed his eyes.

"Morning."

Gabriel frowned internally at not being called "Daddy", but shoved it off.

"I have one heck of a day planned for you."  
Sam raised an eyebrow curiously, but said nothing. Gabriel chuckled. "Come on. Let's go see what's for breakfast."

"You didn't make it?" Sam asked.

"Nope. Uncle Cas did."

Sam seemed to accept that as an answer and climbed out of his bed. Gabriel took him and led him out to the living room. Dean was sitting in the playpen with a few of his toys, looking bored. Meanwhile, Castiel was in the kitchen cooking. Gabriel was honestly surprised that he hadn't smelt something burning yet. Castiel really was getting better at cooking. Gabriel went into the kitchen to see if his brother needed help, leaving Sam between them. He debated going to see what was going on in the kitchen before deciding to play with his brother. Dean's eyes lit up at the sight of his brother, and Sam smiled. Dean handed him a few toys, and before he knew it he was involved in an entire storyline with them. The story was interrupted when Cas plucked Dean up from the ground. He made noises of protest, but Castiel ignored him.

"Come on baby boy. It's breakfast time." He said. He sat Dean down in his chair and set his plate in front of him. A ham and cheese omelette with bacon.

Sam followed and sat down with his brother, only to have Gabriel set down an omelette in front of him.

"Spinach, tomato, and feta egg white omelette." Sam was surprised. It was his favorite. Gabriel and Castiel both sat down at the table. Castiel began feeding Dean bites of omelette while talking to his brother about some of what was going on in heaven. Dean was too focused on eating to care, but Sam tuned in. It seemed that both of them were concerned about Azrael escaping from jail. Gabriel tried to be reassuring to his brother, but Sam could sense his own fear not far below the surface. Sam noticed that Gabriel kept glancing at him, like he expected him to need his help or something. He brushed it off but secretly felt that it was kind of nice that he cared. Sam easily finished before his brother. Before he could take his dirty plate to the sink, Gabriel beat him to the punch. So he sat there and watched Castiel feed Dean his breakfast. Gabriel came back to sit with them, but turned his attention to Sam, who seemed bored.

"Sam, do you want to go pick out something to wear?" He asked. Sam looked up, distracted.

"Huh?"

"Do you want to pick out something to wear?"

"Oh. Sure." He said, getting up from the table. Gabriel watched him walk down the hall, ready to come to his charge's aid if needed. Castiel laughed slightly.

"What's so funny, Cassie?"

"You're already just as involved in this as I am, and it hasn't even been a day. I think I'm winning our wager."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Whatever"

Castiel just laughed as he finished feeding Dean his omelette after that he set the fork down and watched Dean feed himself the bacon.

A few minutes went by before Sam returned in a t shirt and jeans. Gabriel nodded his approval while Cas picked up Dean to get him changed. Dean, who was still frightened from last night, clutched his Daddy close, afraid to leave him. That gave Sam and Gabriel some time to themselves.

"Sammy," said Gabriel, "Why don't you come outside with me? I have a surprise for you."

Curious, Sam followed. When he got outside, he stopped dead in his tracks. There was a swing set, slide, and teeter totter outside.

"For me?" He asked. "Is this for me?"

Gabriel nodded, pleased with his work. "Well, you and your brother once he gets better."

Sam nodded, then walked over to the swing set. He sat down on the swing, expecting it to break under his weight, but it didn't. Cautiously, he started swinging, daring to go a little higher every time until he felt like he could touch the sky. He couldn't help himself and started giggling madly. Gabriel smirked and got behind him, pushing him on the swing.

"Higher, Daddy! Higher!" Gabriel's heart melted in his chest as he pushed his little one on the swing.

Sam spent a solid two hours playing on the mini playground before he got tired and went inside. Dean was sitting in the playpen, looking sleepy as Castiel looked on. Sam sat on the couch and started watching some cartoons. Gabriel went to sit with his brother and discussed more possible outcomes of Azrael's imprisonment while the boys were occupied with their own activities. However, Castiel noted that Dean was getting extremely tired. He checked his watch. It was a little past noon. Considering how long he was up last night, Castiel thought an early nap might be in order. He made a bottle of milk, picked Dean up, and headed to the nursery. Gabriel looked at Sam, wondering if he might need a nap himself. Maybe he would, but not just yet. He seemed wide awake for now. Gabriel kept watch over his son, enjoying every precious moment of time with him. It wasn't until two or three in the afternoon that Gabriel saw Sam wearing out. He tapped him on the shoulder.

"Sam, do you want to take a nap?" He asked gently. Sam yawned, but shook his head. Gabriel decided to try being a bit more firm. "Sam, it's naptime now. Come on, let's get you in bed."

Sam pouted, but didn't disobey. Gabriel tucked him in, read him a story, and watched him fall asleep. He flicked off the bedroom light and then left to watch some TV.


	21. Bonded

The rest of the day was spent with the two brothers playing together and Gabriel growing ever closer to Sam. The next few days were spent establishing a routine. Now that there were two boys in the house, they had to shift things around a bit. Once that was done, Sam decided to go hunting again. Dean was still home bound because of the brain damage. After about a month of healing treatments from Castiel, Dean was finally able to go hunting again, and it made him breathe a sigh of relief. He climbed into his baby and heard the purr of her engine. And just like that, it was like the last month and a half never happened. He was back on the road with Sammy, and that was where he felt he belonged, although he already missed the cabin and couldn't wait to come back.

Things in the car were suspiciously quiet, and Dean found it irritating. He looked over at Sam, who was staring out the window with a contemplative expression on his face. When he couldn't stand the silence anymore, he looked over at his brother.

"What is it?" He asked.

Sam looked over at his brother. "Nothing." He said. Dean shot him a look.

"You really expect me to believe that?" Sam sighed.

"No, but I don't want to talk about it here. I want to wait until we get to the motel."

Dean found this a satisfactory answer and kept driving.

Their latest case was in a wooded area of Nashville, Tennessee. After investigating the scene of the crime, conducting interviews, and grabbing a bite of dinner, they finally headed back to the motel room. Sam came in first, throwing his bag over the side of the bed and sitting down. Dean followed and shut the door behind him. He looked over at Sam.

"So, what's on your mind, Sammy?" He asked, pulling Sam from his thoughts. He debated lying, knowing that would be easier, but he knew Dean would know, and that would be worse. He sighed in defeat.

"I was thinking about Father's Day."

Dean's eyes widened. After John died, they had never spoken of the holiday ever again.

"What about it?" He asked after a few seconds of surprised silence.

"How are we going to celebrate it this year?"

"Wha-" Dean was about to ask what he meant when he remembered. He had an actual Daddy now, and so did Sam. Dean wondered why he hadn't thought of this before. "That's a good question."

"We have to do something special." Said Sam, easily slipping into his little boy headspace. "But what?..."

"I don't know." Dean said, honestly. How could he possibly express his deep love and appreciation for everything his Daddy did for him? What words were there to explain all that? He was a Winchester- words and emotions weren't exactly their forte. Wait... Forte... That was it! Dean's eyes lit up and he ran to the desk and pad of paper and started writing a song. What better gift to give his Daddy than the gift of music? Castiel would love it, he was sure.

That left Sam as the only one who couldn't figure out his gift. Gabriel was an archangel. Pretty much anything he wanted he could have in the blink of an eye. He needed to give him something that no one else could. Something exclusively from him. He spent a few minutes pondering what he could do. The only sound in the room was Dean's furious scribbling on the pad of paper. Then it hit him. He was going to draw the best picture Gabriel had ever seen. But he couldn't do it here. He needed his art supplies. He frowned, disappointed, but started planning what he'd draw while he changed into his pajamas. By the time he got out Dean had finished his song and stuffed the paper into his jacket pocket. Then, exhausted, he got undressed and went to bed, exhausted.

Hundreds of miles away in the cabin, Castiel was sitting on the couch, reading a book he'd been trying to get through for the past three months. Thus far, he'd never made it past the first paragraph. Now, with the boys gone, it was the perfect time to catch up on his reading.

Just when he was about to get to the second paragraph, the front door flew open and hurried footsteps came through the foyer.

Gabriel ran into the room. When he saw his brother buried in a book, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Cassie, thank father you're okay." Castiel closed his book and looked up.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" He asked curiously. He'd never seen Gabriel so nervous before. It was a sight to behold to see the archangel so flustered.

"We have a problem." Said Gabriel, riddled with anxiety. "I really thought I'd hid it well enough, but they got to it somehow. I locked that thing in a gold safe, Cassie! It was in a box with a lock that was warded from Angels stored with hex bags, tucked in a safe, hidden behind a painting, behind a plexiglass wall that's at least five inches thick, in a damn museum with laser security grids for father's sake! There's no way it could have been penetrated, but they did! They did and now-" Gabriel was talking so fast it was making Castiel dizzy. He could barely make out what his brother was saying. Regretfully, he slapped his brother smartly across the face. He was getting just a little too hysterical for his liking. Gabriel looked at him like he'd grown a third head.

"Calm down, brother." He said quietly. Gabriel took a deep breath in and out. Castiel smiled a little. Then he spoke very slowly. "Good." He praised. His eyes grew more serious. "Now then, calmly tell me what is going on?" Gabriel took another breath, and then sighed dejectedly.

"It's Azrael. His grace- it's gone."


	22. Uncles

**Author's Note: I have no idea why Gabriel wrote himself this way but he did. So he's a little OOC. Just to give you fair warning. Enjoy the chapter and please review!**

"What do you mean his grace is gone?!" Castiel exclaimed.

"I have a friend who works night security at the museum. He checks on it every night. The box was busted open, Cassie. I don't know how, but it was. We need a plan, and we need it right now, damn it."

"There's nothing we can do right now. We don't know what his plan is. There isn't somewhere we can hide. We're stuck where we are." Castiel said calmly.

"How can you be so calm about this?" He asked.

Castiel shrugged. "I'm a calm person. You should try it sometime."

"Forgive me, I just got a little concerned at the idea of Azrael butchering our kids!"

"Have you forgotten about the sigils carved into their ribs?"

"No, but considering the guy managed to find that warded box with no problem I'd think you'd be a little more concerned."

"Our boys are hunters, and they're out there, away from us. If Azrael wants me then that's the safest place for them to be."

Gabriel gave him a look, and Castiel almost snickered at the expression.

"You're not even slightly concerned about Dean?"

"Of course I am! But I've learned not to be as worried at this point. If he needed me, he'd call. The same goes for Sam. They can pray to us at any time if something is wrong. For now we should tell the boys what's going on. When they get here, we can start making a plan."

Gabriel nodded.

Castiel smiled a little and said, "Told you you'd be worse than me."

His brother rolled his eyes in reply.

Castiel called Dean about an hour later and he promised to come home as soon as the hunt was done. They ended up finishing it that night. Dean and Sam took turns driving that night to get home in the morning. When they pulled up in the impala, Gabriel felt relieved.

After hugging the two of them, they ushered them inside. The four of them sat down at the kitchen table and spent the next two hours making a plan for any attacks from Azrael. When all of them were satisfied with their strategies, they pushed it aside to do something fun. Sam jumped at the chance to set his own plan into action.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Sammy?"

"Can I play with Uncle Cas?"

Gabriel blinked in surprise, but nodded. "Sure, bud."

Dean turned to his own Daddy.

"Can Uncle Gabe and I go do something fun, Daddy?"

"Of course, baby boy. You be a good boy for your uncle, okay?"

Dean nodded, then looked up to his uncle. "Can we get ice cream?"

Gabriel chuckled. "You bet, bucko."

Both boys went to their respective fathers and gave them long hugs before Gabriel took Dean for ice cream and Sam dragged Cas upstairs.

"Hey Uncle Cas?" Asked Sam, looking at him from his spot on the bed.

"Yes Sam?"

"I need your help with something."

"What is it?" He asked, intrigued.

"I wanna make Daddy something really super special for our first Father's Day together. I wanna draw something for him so it's something he's never had before, but I don't know what to draw. What could I draw to make him happy?"

The little boy's question was so earnest that it made Castiel grin. He put both hands on Sam's shoulders and bent down to his level so that they were making eye contact.

"Sam, no matter what you draw, Gabriel will love it because it came from you. As long as you put your heart in it, it will be perfect."

Sam grinned. "Really? You think so?"

Castiel nodded. "I know so!"

"But I still don't know what to draw!" He said, frustrated.

"Well, what do you think about when you think of Gabriel?"

"Family." He said instantly.

"Good. Draw that."

Sam's face lit up. "That's a great idea!" He started going over to his desk, getting some paper and crayons from his desk. He set them down on the carpet, and then went over to give his uncle a hug.

"Thanks Uncle Cas."

Castiel smiled. "Anytime, Sammy."

Meanwhile, Gabriel had taken Dean to the park. He looked up at him questioningly.

"They have one of the best Ice Cream shops right across the street." He promised.

Dean nodded. His uncle was an expert when it came to sweets. The two of them went into the shop. Dean made his own everything but the kitchen sink sundae while Gabriel got some death by chocolate ice cream covered in hot fudge, Oreo bits, and m&ms. They carried their ice cream back to the park and sat on the grass. Gabriel could tell Dean wanted to talk about something.

"What's on your mind, sport?" He asked. Dean looked up at him curiously. How did he know? Gabriel laughed at the confused look on his face. "It's a dad thing."

Dean was quiet. "I made something special for Daddy for Father's Day. I wanted to see if you thought it was any good."

"I'm sure Cassie will love it. He eats this stuff up like a thanksgiving dinner. What have you got?" He asked, curious.

He pulled the piece of paper from his jacket and handed it to Gabriel. He unfolded it, moving his lips as he read. Dean got to watch the smile grow across his face. Gabriel seemed to be incredibly pleased and impressed by his work.

"This is amazing, Dean-o. Did you write this all by yourself?"

Dean nodded, chest puffed out with pride.

"Cassie'll flip over this." He raved, grinning like a mad man.

"You really think he'll like it?" He asked, still a little afraid of the reply.

"I think he'd try to sell it to the newspapers if he had the chance."

"Really?"

"Really." He promised. Dean grinned and pulled his uncle into a tight hug.

"I love you Uncle Gabe."

Gabriel's throat tightened in the best way.

"Love you too, kid. You'll make us proud."


	23. Protection

**Author's Note: IF THERE WAS EVER A CHAPTER I WANTED REVIEWED, THIS IS IT. I've been planning this for weeks. So please make my day and review! Enjoy the chapter!**

Sam and Dean spent the next few days perfecting their gifts whenever they had a bit of time alone. It was about a week before Father's Day when news finally came about Azrael: Asteraoth had escaped capture. Two days later, word came that Azrael had been broken out of heaven's jail. Every angel in heaven and on earth were on the look out for the powerful archangel, but none more so than Gabriel and Castiel. They informed the boys of these developments but tried to make as little of it as possible. They already had plans in place in case of an attack, so there really wasn't any reason to worry over it. at least that's what they tried to convince the boys. Both of them were incredibly suspicious, but didn't say anything about it.

Castiel and Gabriel, meanwhile, tried to keep them from the cabin as much as possible. When they were hunting the two angels took on small jobs in heaven. They always checked the cabin to make sure it was safe for the boys once they got home. They wanted so desperately to protect them that they tried to send them to hunt as often as possible, but their need to be little quickly flared up as the stress got to be too much. So they did the only thing they could think to do and compromised by taking them places for them to be little. Today, Gabriel was taking Sam to the zoo, and Castiel was taking Dean to the park.

The two pairs of fathers and sons went their separate ways and were gone for several hours. However, there was one key difference between the boys that would be crucial in the end: Dean took naps regularly. Sam might take one on occasion, but he often protested that he was "too big" for such treatment. So Gabriel acquiesced to his wishes and didn't force it on him. Castiel however, insisted on Dean's naps. And honestly, Dean didn't blame him. He often pushed himself far past the acceptable limit. That included his sleep. As a hunter he only averaged four hours of sleep at night, so when he was home, he got at least eight hours of sleep a night, plus naps to make up for it.

It was around three when Castiel took Dean back home. His son was already getting cranky from the heat. He didn't think of checking the house as Dean fussed in his arms. He carried him to the nursery and stripped him of his sweaty clothes, changing him into a pair of pajamas. He was already falling asleep by then. Castiel didn't bother trying to feed him a bottle- he was too exhausted. Instead, he slipped a pacifier between his son's lips and tucked him into bed. He planted a kiss on his forehead before turning to leave.

Suddenly, an invisible force flung him against the wall. Castiel didn't cry out; he didn't want to wake Dean up. Then, as he had anticipated, Azrael materialized in the room. He put a finger to his lips.

"Shhh. The baby's sleeping."

With a wicked grin, he began his torment.

Before Azrael could block him, Castiel sent word to Gabriel in code. Gabriel, who was looking at the Monkey exhibit with Sam, heard the numbers 83, 47, 94, 1, and 53 in his mind from Castiel. Each one of them meant something different. 83 was for home invasion, 47 meant bring backup, 94 meant he was being tortured, but 53 and 1 sent a chill down his spine.

53 meant that Azrael was there. 1 meant that Dean was in danger.

Gabriel grabbed his son's hand. "Come on Sam, we're leaving."

Sam could hear the tone of his Daddy's voice change. This was serious.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"Bobby's. We need back up."

"Back up for what?"

"Your brother and Cassie are in danger."

"You mean...?"

"Yes. Azrael."

Sam's heart rate increased tenfold.

Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder and transported them to Bobby's. Bobby himself was on the couch with a beer in one hand and book of Greek lore in the other.

"Bobby!" Sam exclaimed. Bobby instinctively reached for the gun he kept under the coffee table, leapt to his feet, and pointed it at the voice. When he saw who it was, he put the gun down.

"Damn it boy, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"There's no time! We need backup and we need it now!" Sam pressed. Bobby sprang into action at the sound of Sam's voice. The only thing that could panic him like that was his brother's endangerment.

"Come on. Let's pick up Ellen and Jo and go."

Gabriel put his hands on their shoulders and took them to the roadhouse.

Ellen and Jo were in the front of the house arguing when the three of them arrived.

"Dean needs help." Said Sam. The two of them shared a look, then went over to them. Gabriel encircled all of them in his arms and took them to the cabin. He stepped inside, bold and unafraid. That is, until he saw his brother lying on the floor of the foyer. His face was black, blue, and swollen. One eye was screwed shut, and his nose was pouring blood, just like his chest.

"Cassie..." He whispered. Castiel looked up at his brother's voice. Gabriel went over and knelt down to him. Castiel gripped him by the collar.

"It's not me he wants. He wants Dean." Castiel strained to speak. "Protect him." He whispered. "Promise me." He begged. Gabriel nodded. He healed his face and chest as best he could before helping his brother up.

Suddenly, a scream resounded through the cabin. Despite the pain it caused him, Castiel ran to the nursery. He got there just to see Azrael looming over the crib, scythe ready to strike.

"NO!" Castiel cried. He ran as hard and fast as he could, and leapt in front of the blade. It hit him in the stomach, piercing through his organs and coming out his back. Castiel looked at him as he took a last shallow breath. Azrael removed the scythe, and Castiel toppled to the ground, dead.


	24. Final Battle

Gabriel watched in shock as his brother fell to the floor. His head was still turned toward him and his glassy, lifeless eyes were staring right into his soul. He remembered the promise he made to his brother mere moments ago. And swore to him he would keep it. He looked at Azrael and took a step toward him.

"What did you do to my nephew?"

"Nothing that wasn't necessary." Azrael replied, turning toward his brother. "Now that I'm free and Castiel is gone, my plan can proceed."

"How did you even escape?

"Asteraoth. Turns out he's quite the escape artist. I must say I was impressed with how quickly he freed me."

"So where is he now?"

"Ah. That. Turns out he outlived his usefulness to me."

"So you killed him."

"Yes. Just like I will your nephew. Don't be afraid though, I put him in a deep sleep so he won't feel a thing." Gabriel gave him a look. "Don't look so surprised, brother. It's my job."

"I am _not_ your brother. _Cassie_ was my brother and you turned him into a shish kabob."

"What a Pity that. He had such potential. But he wasted all of it on a mere human."

"He was protecting his son!" Gabriel hissed. "I would have done the same. What do you have to gain from killing my nephew, anyways?"

"Reassurance."

"Reassurance of what?"

"That he is no longer a threat to me."

"How is he a threat to you?"

"You really don't listen at all, do you? I told you before: only a virtuous soul can kill me with my scythe. That means someone who has not sinned, and who has no evil thoughts in their head."

"Dean has killed hundreds of people. How is he a virtuous soul?"

"I was getting to that." He snapped. "Maybe if you bothered to listen and stop interrupting me you'd learn something!"

Gabriel just glared at him.

"The only truly virtuous souls in this world are babies. They have no malicious intent or knowledge of good and evil. They only ask for what they need. When your nephew started this lifestyle, he began the process of purifying his soul. Combined with the brain damage he suffered, it made him a very dangerous threat to me. So I came here to take care of this and tie up my loose ends."

"If you think you're walking out of here, you're sadly mistaken."

Suddenly, Gabriel bolted out of the room. Azrael looked just in time to see that Bobby had drawn a banishing sigil on the wall in his blood. He had been so busy with Gabriel that he hadn't noticed. With a hand to the sigil, Azrael was gone in a flash of light. Gabriel came back in and went over to the crib. He gestured to Bobby and Sam.

"Take Cassie to the couch, guys." They both nodded and carried him out. Gabriel reached in the crib and picked up Dean, settling him on his hip.

"Come on, Dean-o. Let's get you out of here."

He went to the front door, but when he opened it and tried to leave an invisible shield kept him inside.

"Damn it." He murmured. They were trapped. He shifted Dean so that he was cradling him in his arms and did the only thing he could think to do and pressed two fingers to Dean's forehead. His lips parted in a yawn, and he cooed softly before his eyes fluttered open. He looked up at his uncle sleepily before he registered that this wasn't his Daddy. Dean frowned. "Hey bucko." Said Gabriel. "I know you just woke up, but can you tell me if Azrael did anything to you?" He asked carefully.

Dean reached his hand up and pressed it to his Uncle's cheek. It wasn't necessary for Gabriel to see into his mind, but it made him feel more connected to him and helped him focus. He showed Gabriel the intense pain he felt in his mind before he went to sleep.

"Da- Darn it!" He exclaimed, almost swearing. But he reminded himself that Dean was watching. He had to be an example.

"What?" Asked Sam, with Bobby, Ellen, and Jo behind him.

"Azrael reversed all the healing Cassie did. The brain damage is back."

"Which means he can't talk to us." Sam finished. "Can you fix it?" He asked.

"It would be too dangerous. His body is used to Cassie's grace. Mine could do damage. Azrael's might have already."

Dean made a noise and his uncle looked down at him. He pressed his hand harder to Gabriel's cheek. Gabriel saw Castiel's image in his mind, coated with the feeling of longing. "Don't worry, bucko. Your Daddy is going to be fine. But right now he needs your help, okay?"

Dean sniffed and nodded. The image in Gabriel's mind changed to his blanket. He was about to go get it when it came flying down the hall of it's own accord and settled in Dean's waiting arms. Gabriel looked at him, stunned.

"Did you do that?" Dean nodded. "Azrael must have tapped into the part of your brain that was telekinetic after you were a demon..." He theorized.

Dean was quiet for a minute, then his eyes sparkled mischievously. He had an idea. He showed it to Gabriel, who nodded in approval. "It's a great idea. But we have to hurry."

They all took their places in the nursery. Gabriel was by the back door, lighter in hand. Bobby was by the sigil, ready to activate it if need be. Ellen and Jo were on both sides of the crib, protecting Dean. Sam was standing by the closet, safeguarding their weapon.

It took only half an hour for Azrael to show up. He appeared in the center of the room as planned.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was awful. Now then, lets get Down to business, shall we?" His scythe appeared in his hand. Ellen and Jo were both prepared to fight him, but before they could even make a move, he pinned them both to separate walls. Sam started moving in, but was easily flung away. Neither Gabriel nor Bobby moved from their spot. "Now that that pathetic display of protection is over with, let's you and I get down to business, hm?" He said, coming toward Dean. He was sitting up in the crib, sucking his thumb, and looking the picture of innocence.

Azrael was preparing to strike when suddenly a stuffed dragon flew overhead and got in the way. He looked around the room, and suddenly dozens of things started flying off of the shelves at once. Books were going one way, stuffed animals another, and all of them were whizzing through the air around him. But these were just distractions from the real plan. Dean focused on the sippy cup sitting inside his closet. He and Daddy had set it there a long time ago in case of this very kind of emergency. While Azrael was distracted, he poured the liquid inside into a perfect circle at Azrael's feet. When he was done, he looked to his uncle, who nodded. He took three steps forward, then kneed his so-called brother in the shin. Azrael dropped the scythe, which Gabriel caught and took before using the lighter to light up the liquid on the floor: Holy Oil. With Azrael trapped, Gabriel went over to the crib, and let down the side to let Dean out. He helped him stand to his feet and handed him the scythe. Azrael looked absolutely terrified, and Gabriel savored the justice as he watched his nephew swing the scythe into Azrael's heart. In a flash of light, he was gone.

It was finally over.


	25. Risen

**Author's Note: If this chapter doesn't give you all the possible feels, then you better get ready to go see Crowley, because you have no soul. I hope this chapter makes it all worth it for you guys. It was that way for me.**

 **Corgimom: thanks for the review! I hope you love this chapter too!**

Dean stared at Azrael's body as his Uncle extinguished the holy fire with a snap of his fingers. He was finally dead. All the running, fear, and uncertainty were gone with him. He stood there for a minute, unsure of what to do next. Luckily, Gabriel took care of that for him.

"Can you take care of the body?" He asked Bobby and Sam. They nodded, while Ellen and Jo started helping to scrub the Angel sigil off of the walls. Dean tugged on his Uncle's shirt sleeve. Gabriel looked at him, and Dean put a hand to his cheek, showing him an image of Castiel. He wanted to see his Daddy now.

"I'll take you to see him. Just give me a minute, okay?" Gabriel promised.

Dean frowned, but nodded.

Gabriel went out to the living room where Castiel lay still on the couch. His eyes were still open, and his clothes were stained red with blood. He tried several times to revive him, but nothing happened. Normally he would have been fixed instantly, but Azrael seemed to have made this death unable to be affected by his grace. Bearing that in mind, Gabriel did what little he could to make his brother presentable and cleaned his clothes with his grace, and shut his eyes. He decided that was all he could do and went to get Dean.

Dean was waiting expectantly for him, just as Ellen and Jo finished cleaning the wall. The two of them watched as Gabriel picked up Dean and carried him out to the living room. Unable to help their curiosity, they followed.

Gabriel carried him out to the living room and felt his heart break as Dean looked at his Daddy. The look on his face was so innocent and confused it made Gabriel feel like his stomach was trying to wring itself out inside of him. Gabriel set him down, and he stumbled over to the couch. He knelt by the side of the couch and shook Castiel's shoulder gently. When it didn't rouse him, Dean started whimpering. All three of the spectators were quiet and motionless as Dean kept trying to wake him up. All of them felt empathy for the child. When Dean finally realized why his Daddy wasn't waking up, he stopped moving and was perfectly silent. In the quiet of the house, they heard his breathing start to hitch and watched his bottom lip begin to tremble. Fat tears began rolling down his cheeks.

The barrage of emotions finally caught up with him and vented themselves in one cheated, heartbroken howl. He flung himself over his father's body and clutched him to his chest as he sobbed hysterically. Bobby and Sam came in just in time to see it. Sam automatically started walking toward his brother, but Gabriel held out an arm to stop him. He looked over to his son and shook his head no. Sam nodded, and Gabriel put his arm down, only to have Sam grab his hand and squeeze it tight. He couldn't imagine being in Dean's situation, and it made him appreciate what he had so much more.

The lights flickered in the house (albeit unnoticeably because it was still daylight out) and suddenly Mary Winchester appeared. Bobby, Ellen, and Jo all looked stunned, but Sam and Gabriel were unsurprised. Mary knelt down beside him and reached out to stroke his cheek. Dean jerked away as if he'd been tasered, but once he saw who it was, he threw himself into her waiting arms.

"Momma..." He sobbed. She hushed him quietly.

"I know baby, I know..."

She could tell that he was wet, so she carried him to the nursery to get him changed, despite his screeching at being taken away from his Daddy. That gave Gabriel a minute with his brother. He walked over to him, standing over his little brother. A score of memories flashed before him, and he smiled bitterly.

"You did good, Cassie. You raised a good kid. I'm proud of you. I just wish you were here to hear me say it." He murmured in enochian.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Sam went to answer it and was surprised by who it was.

"Chuck? What are you doing here? How the heck did you find us?"

"I write every moment of your lives, Sam. I know about all of this."

"So then you know that Cas-"

"Is dead? Yes, I do. And I think I can help with that."

Surprised, Sam let him in.

Chuck went over to where Gabriel and Castiel were. Gabriel looked over at Chuck and his face grew confused. He couldn't peg what was so familiar about him.

"This is Chuck. He's a prophet of the lord." Said Sam

Gabriel didn't believe him. There was something too familiar about him to be just a prophet.

"Hello Gabriel." Said Chuck.

The second he said it, Gabriel recognized him. He stared at him as if he'd grown a second head, and whispered in enochian, "Dad?"

Chuck nodded. Gabriel just stared at him in awe.

"You asked for my help. So I came here to give it to you."

Gabriel stepped away, and Chuck stepped toward Castiel. He knelt down beside him and whispered into his ear.

"Castiel. Awaken."

A moment later, a pair of blue eyes snapped open. Castiel sat up and looked at his brother.

"Dean..."

"He's safe. Azrael's dead. It's all over now."

"Where is he?"

"Nursery."

Castiel leapt off the couch and ran to the nursery to see Dean sobbing in his mother's lap. He stepped forward.

"Dean."

At the sound of his name, Dean's head snapped up and he stared incredulously at his Daddy. As soon as he realized who it was, he jumped to his feet and started running to him. Castiel opened his arms and closed the distance between them as he pulled his son into his arms. Suddenly he could breathe again.

"Daddy." Dean said, whimpering. "Daddy..."

"I'm here, buddy. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

 **Author's Note: -sniff sniff- isn't it beautiful? Please review!**


	26. Gifts

**Author's Note: Get ready for some more feels, guys! The song enclosed in this chapter is an original and may not be used with out my express written consent.**

 **to Jude: Thank you so much for your review! It totally made my day! I completely agree with you about the sexualized aspects of infantilism giving you the creeps. I see these types of relationships as ones that should be completely innocent. Some people may make it sexual, and that's their prerogative. Me, I keep things innocent and they'll stay that way. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Castiel sat down in the rocking chair, oblivious to the six spectators watching them as he was interlocked with his son. Dean's head was buried in his shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and legs around his waist. By the look of things, he wasn't going to be moving any time soon. Castiel didn't mind. He needed the reassurance the physical contact gave just as much as Dean did. Thankfully, Azrael's magic had reversed itself when he passed, and the brain damage was gone once more. Dean was sobbing desperately into his shoulder, terrified to let go of him. If he was being honest with himself, Castiel was scared to let him go too. He was rubbing Dean's back gently, trying to help him calm down, while desperately searching for the right words to say. How could he possibly explain the tidal wave of emotions that had flooded his chest? He pulled away from Dean (much to his protest), lifted his head up, and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I love you so much, baby boy." He whispered. It was the first time he'd said it out loud when Dean could hear him. Dean automatically wrapped his arms tighter around his neck. He had never been able to say the words to anyone but his mother, but now, after all Daddy has gone through to protect him, it seemed only right to finally say the words- even if they did terrify him.

"I love you too, Daddy." He whimpered. Castiel held him even tighter if that was possible. He held him for the entirety of the time he cried. When he finally calmed down enough to stop, Castiel waited for his breathing to even out before even considering moving. But before he could do anything, Gabriel came over to the two of them. Dean lifted his head at the sound of his Uncle coming. Gabriel got down to his level and stage whispered in his ear:

"Hey Dean-o, maybe you oughta give your Daddy his present now."

Dean's eyes lit up, his mood instantly changing. "Yeah!" He hopped off of his Daddy's lap and ran over to the closet. Castiel eyed his brother suspiciously.

"Gabriel, what did you do?" He asked.

"Nothing!" He exclaimed, looking offended. Castiel gave him a look. "I mean it, Cassie. This was all his idea. He just showed it to me to see what you'd think."

Castiel nodded. That he could believe.

Dean pulled out the folded up piece of paper from his jacket and then ran back over to his Daddy and jumped into his lap.

"I wrote you a song, Daddy!"

Castiel smiled. "You did?"

Dean's head bobbed up and down excitedly. "Uh huh! I wrote it for you for Daddy's day, but I wanna give it to you now. Is that okay?"

Castiel nodded. Dean unfolded the piece of paper and handed it to him excitedly. Castiel scanned the paper and broke out into a bright smile.

"Did you write this all by yourself?"

Dean nodded proudly. "Yup!"

"Can I hear what it's supposed to sound like?"

Dean nodded again, took the piece of paper, and started singing quietly.

"You gave me a second chance  
For the childhood of my dreams  
Now I look back and take a glance  
To tell you how much it means

You picked me up when I was down  
You dried my every tear  
You turned my world around  
And it's never been so clear

All that I am I owe to you  
For taking the time to see me through  
The hardest of times in life I've ever had  
And all I can say is thank you for being my dad

You gave me a place that I could call home  
You gave me more joy than I've ever known  
You helped me to grow  
More than you'll ever know  
And I hope you understand

All that I am I owe to you  
For taking the time to see me through  
The hardest of times in life I've ever had  
And all I can say is thank you for being my dad

You showed me the love I never knew  
You never gave up on me when things looked blue  
You showed me the way  
To find joy in today  
And I'm glad  
Because I get the chance to call you my Dad

All that I am I owe to you  
For taking the time to see me through  
The hardest of times in life I've ever had  
And all I can say is thank you for being my dad

Thank you so much for being my Dad."

Castiel felt tears welling up in his eyes. This was what he'd fought so hard to protect. This boy had put all of his love and trust in him, and it meant absolutely everything to him. He pressed Dean to his chest and kissed the crown of his head as a few tears streamed down his cheeks.

"That was beautiful, baby. Thank you."

Dean smiled, then turned to his little brother who was watching in the doorway. He gave him a look, and Sam nodded, disappearing into the hallway. Gabriel eyed his nephew curiously. Dean gave the littlest smirk that made Gabriel incredibly proud. Then, Sam reentered the room, holding a piece of paper of his own. Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"I made you something for Father's Day, too." Sam said. Gabriel perked up. He hadn't been expecting that. "Uncle Cas helped me." He added. Gabriel gave his little brother a vaguely proud glance. Castiel looked a little smug at the idea of his brother's reaction. Sam handed him the paper, and Gabriel smiled at him before opening it. When he saw it, he could have sworn his heart got caught in his throat. It was a picture of the four of them standing together right outside the cabin. Sam had even drew wings and halos for Gabriel and Castiel. The smile on Gabriel's face was matched by none.

"Sam, it's a masterpiece. I love it!" He gushed. Sam's face brightened.

"Really?"

"Really." He promised. "This is going on the fridge." He added. Sam looked satisfied with his work. Gabriel looked over at his brother, and didn't have to look into his mind to know that they were thinking the same thing. "We have some pretty great boys, don't we, Cassie?"

"That we do, brother. That we do."


	27. Purpose

Dean's mouth opened into an "o" shape as he yawned in his Daddy's lap. Castiel noticed this and couldn't help but smile. Like most times, the yawn was contagious and spread to Sam as well. Normally Gabriel would have written that off and went on with his day, but he got the feeling that Sam might actually need a nap today. He looked over to his brother, who was clearly thinking the same thing, and they both nodded stealthily to each other.

"I think some little boys are ready for nap time." Said Castiel. Dean frowned and wiggled in his lap.

"No." He declared, looking up at his Daddy.

"Oh yes. Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you to bed."

The new term of endearment barely phased him.

Sam watched as his uncle pulled Dean into his arms and started putting him in the crib. He nearly jumped when a hand was placed on his shoulder, but relaxed when he saw that it was just his Daddy.

"Come on, Sammy. Let's give Uncle Cas and your brother some privacy."

He led him out into the hallway, but instead of turning left to go out to the living room, he turned right toward the bedroom. Sam frowned.

"Where are we going?"

"Dean isn't the only one who needs a nap today."

"Daddy!" He whined. "I'm not even tired."

"I think you are. I think you're very tired but you don't want to admit it because you don't want to let your guard down and don't want to miss out on anything happening in the house. But you need some rest, Sammy. I promise I'll let you know if anything happens, but please try and get some sleep, okay?"

Sam softened. "Okay."

"Good boy." He praised. He took Sam into his bedroom and helped him into some more comfortable clothes. Then, he read him a story before tucking him into bed and going out to the living room. He expected Cassie to already be out there. Unfortunately, he was having a harder time than his brother had.

Castiel cradled his son close to his chest, hushing him and rocking him back and forth. Dean should have already been asleep- he was already over tired- but he was afraid to go to sleep.

"What's the matter, baby?" Asked Castiel. Dean whimpered.

"Don't leave."

"I'm just going to be out in the living room with Uncle Gabe, buddy. I'm not going anywhere. I promise you, you're safe here."

Dean wouldn't have it, so Castiel had to think of a better idea. He took off his trench coat and draped it over his son.

"You know I'd never go out without it. Do you believe me now?"

Dean sniffled, but nodded. Castiel smiled. "Good. Daddy will be right outside if you need me." He said, kissing Dean's forehead one more time before raising the crib bar. Castiel quietly shut the door before going out to the living room. When he got there, he was surprised.

"Chuck? What are you doing here?" He asked, confused, not remembering that it was Chuck who revived him.

"I came here because you needed my help."

"I understand prophesying the future could be useful, but what else could you do for us?"

"I revived you."

"You-" It took Castiel a minute to process what he'd said. "You're the one who revived me?" Chuck nodded. "But that's impossible! I was killed with the archangel of death's scythe. You'd have to be, have to be-"

"God?" Chuck finished.

Castiel nodded. "Yes."

"I am."

Castiel stared at him for a moment, completely shocked.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Yes I did... I just can't believe it."

"It's fine. Take your time."

"If you're God, then why didn't you intervene when we asked for your help, or tell us who you were earlier?" Asked Castiel.

"It's actually very simple. Everything that happened to you, your brother, and the Winchesters was completely necessary. Every victory, every loss, every moment spent together was meant to bring you closer and closer so that this arrangement between the four of you could happen."

"All of it? All of it had to happen? Even the both of us getting killed by Luci?" Asked Gabriel. Chuck nodded sagely.

"Yes. But I see your point. Let me ask you something, then: how did being resurrected after being killed by Lucifer change your way of thinking?"

"It made me appreciate what I had a lot more. Made me want to spend time with my family." Murmured Gabriel.

"It made me want to take advantage of every opportunity I came across in life." Said Castiel. Chuck nodded again.

"Exactly. Both of those feelings and ways of thinking needed to be introduced into your minds for you to even consider doing something like this. If those two feelings hadn't come along in your walk of life, do you think you would have thought of this arrangement in the same way?"

The two of them relented; he had a point.

"I'm beginning to understand, but there's one thing I don't get." Said Castiel.

"What's that?"

"Why me? Why did you revive me when you could have had someone better, stronger, more loyal?" He asked.

Chuck looked at both him and Gabriel briefly before standing up.

"The both of you were chosen because of your connection to the Winchesters. From the moment I created the earth I knew how the story would unfold. Every person was a character, every life a different storyline in this new chapter of creation. I knew how the story would end before it even began. The Winchesters were always meant to save the world, and they have. But the two of you were meant to save them. That was why the two of you were created. That was the purpose I gave you. This is your destiny. And I wanted you to understand that I'm proud of you for being good fathers in spite of me. You set an example for your children, and I couldn't be more pleased. You have done well."

Both of them were slack jawed at the praise, but Castiel stepped forward, smiling slightly.

"Thank you... Dad."


	28. Grandpa

Castiel and Gabriel sat down on the couch after making the quick trip to take Bobby, Ellen, and Jo home. The three of them had easily decided that the danger present there had been extinguished, and they were intruding on what was quickly becoming a family matter. Now they sat with Chuck, talking to one another in enochian about things both important and trivial. To both Castiel and Gabriel's surprise, most of the questions Chuck asked them were about Sam and Dean. They had anticipated him asking about official business from heaven, but no. He was interested in their children.

Both of them found it strange, but it was Gabriel who ended up speaking up on the matter.

"Not to sound ungrateful about all the attention, but what's with the sudden interest in our boys?"

"First of all, it's not sudden. I've known them longer than you have." He said pointedly. Gabriel conceded- he had a point there. "Secondly, they're my only grandchildren. I may not have been the best father, but I'll be damned if I'm not a good grandparent."

The two angels found his choice of words to be interesting. Castiel found something amiss with the answer, although he couldn't put his finger on what it was. As quickly as the thought came it was gone again. He was about to say something when a cry resounded through the house. Castiel was up in a flash and dashed to the nursery while Gabriel made a comment about his brother being too quick to jump to conclusions.

Castiel threw the door open and flicked on the light. Dean was kicking and squirming in his crib, wailing at the top of his lungs. Castiel let down the side of the crib and scooped Dean up into his arms. He whispered into his son's ear to wake him up.

"Dean, wake up, baby boy."

His eyes snapped open and he looked around wildly, scared out of his wits. Castiel hushed him.

"It's alright, sweetheart. Daddy's here. You were just dreaming. It's all over now."

Dean buried his face in his Daddy's shirt. Castiel didn't even have him in his arms for two seconds before he felt hot tears seeping through the fabric. He stifled a sigh and sat down in the familiar rocking chair. He ran his fingers through Dean's hair soothingly, whispering reassurances into his ear as he cuddled him tightly to his chest. He was so busy with Dean that he didn't notice the door next to theirs creak open or hear steps padding down the hall.

Gabriel heard the steps and thought they were Cassie coming back with Dean, but turned around to see Sam standing there with a stuffed dog in one hand and the other rubbing his eye tiredly.

"Daddy, what's going on?" He asked sleepily. Gabriel leapt up from his seat with a panther's easy grace and went over to his son.

"Hey there, Sammy. Everything's okay. Dean just had a bad dream, that's all. You can go back to bed."

"Not sleepy." He murmured, fighting a yawn. Gabriel smiled at his feeble attempt to hide his exhaustion.

"What if I went in and read you a story? Would you try and go to sleep then?"

"Can't."

"Can't what?"

"Go to sleep. Dean's cryin' too loud." He said, pulling the stuffed animal to his chest. Gabriel smiled and pulled Sam onto his lap.

"Uncle Cas is taking care of that. How about you come sit with me and your Grandpa until your brother feels better?"

Sam looked up curiously at his Daddy, and it took Gabriel a minute to process what he'd said.

"Grandpa?" He looked over at Chuck for confirmation. The writer nodded to him.

"I'm your Daddy's Daddy." He clarified. The answer seemed to satisfy Sam's curiosity. For a few minutes he didn't say anything, but then he looked up at him again.

"Grandpa?"

"Yes?"

"Will you tell me a story?" He asked as sweetly as he could manage.

Chuck smiled. "Sure I will. I'm a writer. That's what I do. What kind of story do you want to hear?"

"Somethin' only you know about."

"Hmmm... How about I tell you the story of how I created all the angels?"

Sam's eyes widened, and he nodded. Gabriel held him in his lap as Chuck began the tale of how he made each Angel.

Down the hall in the nursery, Castiel was still dealing with a sobbing Dean. The poor child was scared out of his wits, and nothing seemed to be calming him down. He felt the stress beginning to wear away at him. Out of ideas, he decided to carry him out to the living room and see if a visit with Gabriel would improve his emotional state.

When he arrived, he was surprised at what he saw.

Sam was very much awake, sitting in his father's lap as his grandpa told him a story. Castiel sat down with Dean in his arms. The boy's sobbing reduced as he recognized the fact that he was around other people. Sam looked over to his brother and whispered:

"Grandpa's telling the story of how he made Angels."

At the word "Grandpa", Dean suddenly became quiet. He looked over at Chuck, eyes filled with confusion.

Chuck, sensing his question, nodded. "Yes, I'm your Grandpa."

Curiosity colored Dean's features and he looked up to Castiel for some reassurance. When his Daddy nodded, Dean hesitated for a moment before reaching out to his new family member. Chuck seemed incredibly pleased and happily pulled him onto his knee. Sam, not one to be left out, pouted before going up to Chuck and sitting on his other knee. Chuck grinned at the two angels staring at him before returning his attention to the two boys in his lap.

"Now then, where were we? Ah yes, the first Angel. Most people think Michael was the first, but that actually isn't true. Azrael was the first one I ever created, but when I made him something wasn't quite right in his programming. So I created Michael next, and he seemed to not have that problem, so I continued to create them in that way. But after a few more I realized that they were far too powerful, so I started to make ones that were less so. But in all of the angels I made there was something good and pure inside of them. Everyone except for Azrael. I had him put in heaven's jail not because I didn't love him, but because I wanted to protect the rest of my creations from him. So while he rotted away in there, I continued to create. Michael became known as my first archangel, and the rest is history."

By the time the story was over, both boys had fallen back to sleep.


	29. Aftermath

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry if this chapter is kind of tedious, I'm running low on ideas. If there's something you want to see, please let me know! Thank you!**

 **The bible verses in here are Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)**

 **To Dude1231: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I hope you like this chapter!**

Castiel and Gabriel couldn't help but smile at the sight of their two boys both asleep in their father's lap. Chuck looked at both of his children, studying the expressions on their face. Castiel seemed protective and mistrustful despite his smile. Gabriel was nothing but amused.

"We should probably put them back to bed." Murmured Castiel. Gabriel scoffed quietly.

"Oh put a sock in it, Cassie. They're bonding."

Castiel looked at his brother quizzically upon hearing the expression. Gabriel just ignored him and turned his attention back to Chuck.

"I'm impressed, Dad." Chuck's eyebrows shot up.

"At what?"

"How quickly they took to you. The two of them are the most private people I've ever met. The fact that they let you see this side of them this soon is just... Unprecedented."

Chuck seemed flattered. "Is it really that hard to believe? I created them."

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Murmured Castiel.

Chuck nodded. "That's exactly right. I've known them for their entire life. I always have. It's just the first we've met in person."

Gabriel nodded a little. It made sense. He noticed that Castiel was staring at Dean protectively. He was about to call his brother out on his overprotectiveness when he recalled the days earlier events and was smart enough to shut his mouth. After everything that had happened today, his little brother had every right to be a little paranoid about his kid.

Gabriel continued conversing with his father, while Castiel sat quietly beside him. He didn't have to be a different person to realize he was being paranoid and overprotective of his son. He wanted to just pretend that today had never happened and put it behind him, but he couldn't do it. More so, he knew Dean couldn't do it. Not yet, at least. This wound was too fresh to start healing now for both of them.

Chuck could see the inner turmoil erupting inside of Castiel and a wave of compassion filled him. He reached out to put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Dean will recover from what happened here today." He promised. "So will you."

Castiel looked up at him. For a second he looked so lost that Chuck had the urge to get up and hug him, but by the way his expression hardened a nanosecond later, he got the impression that it wouldn't be appreciated. He almost took his hand away, but felt the Angel subconsciously sway into the touch before getting up from the couch.

"It's getting late. I think I'd better get dinner started."

Chuck nodded, while Gabriel looked at his brother intently. He got that this had been a terrible day, and he couldn't fault him for being a little protective or paranoid, but pushing the people who cared about him away was more of a Winchester move than one of his own. He felt concern well up inside of him and made a mental note to check on Cassie later.

Castiel took out a pot and filled it with water, turned on the stovetop, and started getting out pasta from the cabinets. He wasn't in a place mentally where he was prepared for interaction with anyone who wasn't Dean, so he channeled his energies into making dinner for his son and nephew.

Gabriel had no problem taking the reins of the conversation while Castiel prepared dinner, although he'd be lying if he said he could keep his focus on what was being said. Between his brother, father, son, nephew, and the days earlier events, his attention was strained to say the least. It was only divided further when Sam woke up not long after that. He looked up at his father and reached out to him sleepily. Gabriel happily pulled him into his lap.

"Hey there, Sammy. Did you have a nice nap?" Sam nodded, absently sticking his thumb in his mouth. Gabriel briefly wondered if he realized he was doing it before pushing the thought aside. "Uncle Cas is fixing dinner. Are you hungry?"

Sam nodded again, leaning his head on his father's shoulder. Gabriel smiled before wrapping his arms around his son. The house gradually began to get louder from there. The noise eventually roused Dean from his sleep. He whimpered quietly, and it only took a quarter of a second for Castiel to appear. He lifted Dean up and settled him on his hip.

"Hey there buddy. It's alright. Everything's okay." He soothed. Dean rested his head on his father's chest, arms locked around his neck. Castiel lifted Dean's chin up so that he was looking at him.

"Want to help Daddy in the kitchen?"

Dean rubbed his eyes tiredly, but nodded. Castiel set him on the counter and drained the water from the pasta before putting it into a large bowl. He unscrewed the top off of the jar of sauce and let Dean pour it over the pasta and mix it all together. Castiel praised Dean's good work before declaring that dinner was finally ready. Gabriel got up and made sure Sam was at the table before turning back and looking at Chuck.

"Come on, Dad. You can stay for dinner."

This would mark the first family dinner they'd had in a while. Chuck smiled and pulled up an extra chair to the table. This was what he'd always wanted. Time with his children and a chance to know his grand kids. For Chuck Shurley, life couldn't have gotten any better than this.


	30. Sick

While dinner was extremely plesant all around, one member of the group had a difficult time. Dean sat there quietly the entire time. Castiel Had twirled pasta on a fork and offered it to him, but he never opened up his mouth. Castiel frowned. Dean absolutely loved pasta night. It had become one of his favorite foods since they'd started this lifestyle- mostly because it was the first time Castiel had cooked him something as his Daddy. He set the fork down and studied Dean's face. Now that he was looking at it, his face did seem a bit pale. He found that disconcerting. Dean only ate three bites of his dinner. Sam's chatty volubility distracted Gabriel and Chuck, but not Castiel. The only time they noticed Dean was when he sneezed with a mouthful of pasta and got sauce all over Cas' shirt. Gabriel howled with laughter at the sight. It made him so giddy that he even offered to clean the table. Once he was up and cleaning, Sam's attention went to Chuck, and Castiel used the distraction to his full advantage.

"Dean? Are you alright, buddy?" He said, frowning. He pressed a hand to Dean's forehead. He didn't have to be human to understand when fever had struck.  
"You're burning up, sweetheart." He murmured. He pulled Dean up onto his hip. "Come on, let's get you into bed." He said. It was only then that he realized that Dean was all sweaty. "But let's give you a nice bath first." He amended. Dean didn't even bother to fight him on it. It was a sign of how tired he was.

He went into the nursery and shut the door behind him. He was kicking himself as he turned on the water in the bathroom. He should have known something was off. This was what his instincts were trying to tell him all along. He felt his guilt increase as he started stripping Dean of his clothing, causing him to shiver and shake to the point where his teeth were chattering. He took off Dean's diaper and set him in the tub. The water was hot enough to turn his skin red, but to Dean it was like someone dumping him in the Arctic Ocean. He shivered and tried to make himself as warm as possible as his Daddy started washing him up. He tried to make it as quick and painless as possible, but knew that he hadn't completely succeeded. He drained the water, wrapped Dean in a towel and quickly diapered him before taking him out to the nursery to get him into a pair of fleece footed pajamas. Once he was clothed, he seemed a little less cold. Cas wrapped him up in a blanket, before setting him on his hip and carrying him out to the kitchen to fix him a warm bottle. Dean was perfectly quiet the whole time. So Castiel took the time to take his temperature. One hundred and two degrees.

Yikes.

The bottle was done quicker than expected, and Cas took it from the microwave and took Dean back to the nursery. He gently laid him down in the crib and handed him the bottle. Before Dean could even ask him for it, he gave him his favorite blanket and his pacifier. Dean smiled at him warily and yawned. He picked up the bottle and started sucking on it. Castiel smiled at him.

"Goodnight, baby boy." He kissed his forehead and pulled up the side of the crib. Before he could begin to whimper at the idea of his Daddy leaving him alone, he went over to the rocking chair, took out the book he'd been reading, and started reading. Dean relaxed and resumed suckling on his bottle and quickly fell asleep.

Castiel leaned back into the chair and got lost in the world of the book he'd been reading. For about an hour he was able to enjoy himself until he heard the prayer of one person who really surprised him.

Claire Novak, the daughter of his vessel, Jimmy.

Castiel was torn. His promise to Jimmy to watch over his family was still incredibly important to him, but his own paternal instincts told him to stay with Dean. Castiel shut his book and set it down in the chair. Promising to only be gone a minute, he went out to the living room. Gabriel was sitting on the couch, watching over Sam as he played on the floor. Chuck was on the floor with Sam, helping him build a castle with blocks.

"Gabriel, could I speak with you a moment?" Asked Cas. Gabriel was surprised, but nodded. He took him into the kitchen. "I need a favor."

"Sure, anything."

"Jimmy's daughter needs something. Can you go find out what it is? I would but I just-"

"You can't leave Dean."

Castiel nodded. "Yes."

"Don't worry about a thing, Cassie. I'll take care of it. But you'll have to watch over Sammy for me."

"Of course." He promised.

Gabriel flashed him a winning smile, then went to see Claire.

When he appeared, Claire was less than impressed.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm Gabriel, Cassie's older brother. He wanted to be here but he has something really important going on so he sent me in his place."

"You're Gabriel? As in the Angel who came to Mary, Gabriel?"

"I love it when people know my work. Yes, that Gabriel."

"... Somehow I pictured you taller."

Gabriel's face fell. "I get that a lot. But any who, what can I do for you?"

"I'm on a hunt and I needed a little help."

"Alright. Just give me a second."

Claire backed off. Gabriel whipped out his phone and dialed Cas' number.

"Hello?"

"Hey bro. Looks like I'm going on a hunt."

"I assume you want to talk to Sam?"

"Right-o. Put him on." There was murmuring on the other line.

"Hi Daddy!" Came the cheerful voice on the other line. Gabriel's heart melted inside his chest.

"Hey buddy. I just wanted to let you know that I'm gonna be gone for a few days, okay?"

"But why?" Came the sad reply.

"Because someone needs my help. But I'll be back soon. Until then, you be a good boy for your Uncle and Grandpa, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Daddy."

"Love you too, sport." Sam handed the phone back to Castiel.

"If he needs me, you call me. Understand?"

"Of course. Don't worry, Gabriel. Everything will be fine."

"It better be when I get back. But I gotta go. Say hey to Dad and that nephew of mine."

"I will. Good luck, brother."

"Later."

Gabriel got off the phone. "Alright, let's go."

With that, the hunt was on.

 **Author's Note: Claire is one of my favorite characters so I just had to find a way to incorporate her into this story! Please Review!**


	31. Tantrum

**Author's Note: Jude: Thanks for the idea! I might use it in a later chapter! I hope you enjoy this one!**

Claire sat in the passengers seat while Gabriel drove up to a land development in a nearby city. Two parents had suffered accidental deaths in two days, and Claire was suspicious of why they were dying. After filling Gabriel in on what she thought was going on, their conversation turned to more neutral topics.

"So how is he anyways?"

"Who?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "Castiel."

"He's..." Gabriel was about to say fine when he remembered the circumstances in which his brother had found himself earlier that day. "He's alive."

Claire raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound good."

"It is considering he was dead earlier."

"What happened?" She asked, surprised.

"Trust me when I tell you you don't want to know."

"I think I do."

"Believe me, you don't."

"I do."

"Just because you do doesn't mean I will. Do you really think I want to relive watching my little brother die?"

Claire was quiet.

"Exactly."

"Is that why he couldn't show up?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Okay."

When they reached the development, the two of them went in and started looking into the disappearances.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Castiel sat in the living room, watching over Sam while simultaneously keeping an ear out for Dean. So far it seemed like his son might actually get some sleep tonight. That just left Sam to deal with, who was still playing in the living room.

He glanced at the clock. It was nine thirty. Half an hour past Sam's bedtime. He briefly wondered how the time has got away from him so quickly, but stood up.

"Sammy, it's bedtime."

"Uncle Cas, no! I still have people to save!" He said, gesturing to the toy city and tiny action figures.

"I'm sure they'll still be there for you to save tomorrow. Come on now, if you're late to bed your Daddy will have my head, and I'd like to keep it on my shoulders."

Sam pouted. Cas steeled himself against Sam's puppy dog eyes and grew firm.

"Do I need to carry you to bed like I do your brother?"

Sam just grumbled. Cas sighed internally. He really didn't want to have to do this, but Sam wasn't giving him much of a choice.

"Sammy, you have until the count of three before I call your Daddy and tell him that you've been a naughty boy."

Sam stiffened at the threat, but still didn't move.

"One..." Sam kept staring straight ahead, not looking him in the eye.

"Two..." He shifted his position on the floor, but didn't get up.

"Three." Sam picked up a toy car and threw it at his uncle angrily. Alright. That was it. He scooped Sam up into his arms, ignoring his kicking and thrashing as he carried him to his little boy bedroom. He set Sam down with his nose in a corner. "You stay right there while I call your Daddy." He commanded. Sam started sniffing in reply.

Gabriel was in the middle of an interview when his phone rang. He saw who it was o. The caller ID and excused himself. The Sheriff nodded in reply.

"Hello?"

"Gabriel?"

"Hey there, Cassalope. How's my favorite brother?"

"I'm fine. Sammy, on the other hand, is being a very naughty little boy."

Gabriel sighed. He had anticipated something like this might happen.

"What did he do?"

"Besides refusing to go to bed, he thought it would be fun to throw a toy car at me." Gabriel almost laughed but he knew this was a serious matter.

"Put him on."

"Daddy?" The heartbroken sound was enough to make Gabriel want to rip his heart out, but he held onto his emotionless façade. It didn't work, and he heard his voice soften at the sound of Sam's distress.

"Hey champ. You want to tell me what's going on?"

"I-I..."

"Yes?"

"I didn't wanna go to bed."

"Do you want to tell me why?"

"I was scared." He said, meekly.

"Why were you scared?"

"'Cause you're not here to make all the monsters go away." He whimpered.

So that was the root of the problem.

"It's okay to be scared, buddy. But it's not okay to throw something at your uncle. He's trying to help you. Now you need to go and say you're sorry."

"But-"

"No buts. Now go."

Sam sighed. "Sorry Uncle Cas."

Castiel smiled at him. "It's okay, Sammy. Now go get your PJ's on while I talk to your Daddy.

Sam nodded, and Castiel waited outside the door.

"How's Claire?"

"Good."

"Good."

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Go into my bedroom, grab one of my shirts from the drawer, and spray it with my Axe body spray."

"Okay... Can I ask why?"

"Give it to him before he goes to sleep. It will make him feel safe."

"Alright. I can do that."

The door opened, and Sam was in his Pajamas, clutching his favorite stuffed dog.

"I'll give you back to him and go do that."

"Thanks bro."

"Anytime." He handed Sam the phone and headed to Gabriel's room. The dresser was against the wall that was the furthest from him, so he walked over to it and opened up the drawers. It took him a minute to figure out which drawer had the shirts in them, but once he found it, he swiped the first one he found from the drawer, kicked it shut with his foot, and went into the en suite bathroom where he found the aforementioned body spray by the sink. He sprayed a little of it on the shirt and left the room with the shirt.

When he got back to Sam's room it was obvious that Gabriel was reading him a bedtime story from memory. He heard Sam giggling from his spot on the bed, so he quickly handed Sam the shirt and waited for the story to end. When it did, Sam yawned and snuggled under the covers.

"Night night Daddy." Sam said into the phone. Gabriel smiled.

"Night night buddy."

Sam handed Cas the phone and quickly fell asleep. Cas shut the door behind him.

"Thanks bro." Said Gabriel, smiling.

"Anytime. Good luck on your hunt, brother."

"Thank you. Call me if you need me."

"Will do. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."


	32. The Hunt

**Author's Note: Thank you for reviewing, Corgimom! I hope you love this chapter!**

The hunt for a group of changelings lasted about four days. During those four days Dean got weaker and weaker while Sam grew more and more agitated. With his attention torn between two boys, Castiel felt himself being stretched to the limit. Whenever Dean was asleep he went to Sam, giving him as much attention and affection as he could spare. When Dean needed him, Chuck was there to pick up where he'd left off. Even with Chuck there, Sam was a handful, throwing tantrum after tantrum with no signs of stopping. Castiel thought of calling Gabriel on more than one occasion, but every time he stopped himself. Claire needed the help. So he decided that he'd muddle through this until his brother got home. After all, how hard could it be?

He had just finished settling Dean down for a nap and was heading down the hallway to go see Sam when his cell phone began to ring. When he saw who it was, he answered immediately.

"Hello?"

"Hey Cassie."

"Did you find the changelings?"

"Yep. We smoked those suckers out. Got all the kids back to their parents, too."

"Good. I assume that means you're on your way home then?"

"Sort of. Claire wants to stop by and say hi. Are you okay with that?"

"Sure. Just let me clean out the living room first."

"You got it. Call me when you're done."

"I will. Goodbye."

"Later."

Castiel hung up the phone and went over to where Sam was playing.

"Sammy, guess who's coming home?"

"Daddy!" He cheered.

"That's right! But Claire is coming with him, and you'll have to be big while she's here. So we need to clean up before he can come, okay?"

Sam nodded. He didn't think he'd ever seen him run so fast. Cas chuckled, and Chuck stood up from his spot on the couch.

"Well, this was fun but I have a book to get home to."

"Okay."

Chuck smiled at him before turning his attention to Sam. "Bye, Sammy."

"Bye, Grandpa!"

"Be a good boy for your Daddy and your Uncle Cas."

"I will!" He promised. Chuck looked over at Castiel.

"If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to give me a call."

"I will. Thanks... Dad."

Chuck flashed him a smile before leaving.

When Castiel was satisfied with the room, he got out his phone and called Gabriel. Before the phone could get to the second ring the door to the cabin flew open.

"Cassie, I'm home!"

Castiel greeted his brother and watched with a grin as Sam went over to hug him. Cas could practically see the little boy he really was on the inside dancing just beneath the surface. Reluctantly (Cas could tell), he let go of his Daddy and greeted Claire.

"Hey Claire."

"Hey Sam. Where's Dean?"

"Sleeping. He's pretty sick right now."

Castiel gave Sam the barest nods of thanks before turning to their guest.

"Hello, Claire." He said. He was slightly startled when she wrapped him in a hug, but quickly relaxed.

"How have you been?" She asked as he led them all to the living room.

"Busy." He answered honestly. "How was the hunt?" He asked, planting himself on the couch.

Both Claire and Gabriel launched into descriptions of how it went, complete with reenactments of some of it on Gabriel's part. As they talked about the trip, Castiel was finally able to relax. After five days of stress and anxiety, he could just enjoy being around those he loved. Time seemed to melt away as he caught up with Claire and got the chance to enjoy time with his brother and nephew.

All was well, until a shriek sounded from down the hallway.

Every parent knew the difference in their children's cries. They knew when it was a genuine cry of pain or distress or a manipulative cry to get what they wanted. Castiel was no exception to the rule. He didn't think when he heard it- he just reacted. Before anyone else could connect the idea that something was wrong, Cas disappeared and reappeared in the nursery.

He arrived just in time to see two legs being dragged through the broken window.

"No!" He cried.

Instinct took over from that point on. When he looked back on that period of time, he could not account for his actions or whereabouts. Cas lowered the crib bar, leapt up on the mattress, and went through the window. He landed on his feet and started running down the mountainside as fast as he could. He pushed himself to go faster and faster, not caring about the burning sensation in his legs or that his heart was thundering inside his chest as he reached the tree line that divided mountain and forest. He paused when he hit the forest, not sure of which direction it came from.

"Daddy!" He heard Dean's shrill cry, but couldn't tell the direction it came from. Taking a wild guess, he started running through the trees, desperate to find his child. Several miles away, he heard a car engine roar to life. Dean's cries grew quieter and quieter until he heard the slamming of car doors. Then they were completely nonexistent. He kept running, despite hearing the wheels turning over the gravel and rocks. He made it to a dirt pathway and caught a glimpse of a white van. He was more than ready to go after it when he was suddenly struck by an object. It was silver, made from what seemed to be melted down Angel blade, but It caused the same reaction from him as a human who'd been tasered. The moment it made contact with him, he dropped to the ground, no longer in control of his body.

Castiel was laying on the ground, jerking and spasming, unable to do anything as he watched the van holding his son drive away. It was the last thing he could think of before his brain became too scrambled to think anymore.


	33. Bad Seed

**Author's Note: The beginning of this chapter was planned. The ending was certainly not, but it wove itself into the most beautiful of plot twists. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have! Thank you for reviewing, Corgimom! You help keep me motivated!**

All of them heard Castiel's cry and sprang into action. Gabriel flung open the door to the nursery to see an empty room with a broken window.

"Shit." Murmured Gabriel, climbing through the window. He didn't look to see if Sam and Claire had followed him. He looked around, trying to make sense of where his brother might have gone. "Cassie?! Cassie?!" He called.

Gabriel finally spotted a set of footprints in the dirt and started following them. Sam and Claire trailed behind him, not saying a word. They followed the trail to a dirt pathway. A few feet ahead on the trail lay Castiel, twitching on the ground.

Gabriel ran over to his brother and pulled the foreign object out of his chest. Gabriel shook him gently. "Cassie? Cassie, what happened?"

All that came out from Castiel was a groan. Gabriel pressed two fingers to his brother's forehead to heal any damage done by the device.

"Cassie? You with me?"

"White Van."

"What?"

"They drove a white van."

"Okay."

"Did you see the license plate?" Asked Sam, instincts kicking in.

"I couldn't see it... They struck me with whatever that is and then everything goes blank after that..."

Sam nodded quietly.

"If I had just been faster, gotten there a minute earlier, then maybe I could have..."

"Don't do that to yourself, Cassie." Gabriel interrupted. "There wasn't anything you could have done."

"But-"

"No buts. You can't afford to think that way. Thinking like that isn't going to get Dean back. Now pull yourself up and let's get back to the house. We have a kid to save."

Castiel nodded, but said nothing. They all got back to the house and Cas immediately started pacing the room. Gabriel opened the connection between them to try and get a glimpse of something that could tell him where they had taken Dean. The only thing he found was Dean's cry of "Daddy!" Replaying over and over as the van took off. He winced as he waded through his brother's self-loathing, guilt, fear, and anger, trying to find the truth of what happened. There were tiny snippets of forest flashing through his thoughts. Looking for more of those, he was able to piece together what had happened. When he was sure he'd found all he could, he got out of his brother's mind and started trying to plan what to do next.

Sam had already taken initiative and started looking for white vans registered in the area.

Claire, Meanwhile, was looking at Castiel curiously, although he didn't seem to notice. It didn't take a genius to see the incredible changes that had taken place in the Angel. She wondered briefly what had happened to make these changes. Despite all of the thoughts clouding her mind, she kept focused on the task at hand.

"If they had to take a van, that probably means that they likely aren't able to fly or teleport places. It was broad daylight, so we can rule out vamps. What else can we eliminate?"

Sam started listing off creatures while Gabriel searched for the right words to try and comfort his brother. He knew for a fact that if he were in Cassie's shoes his brother would have tried to do the same for him. Before he could come up with the words, his cell phone rang. When he saw the caller, relief washed over him.

"Dad, thank goodness you called. Dean's been-"

"Kidnapped. I know. I just saw it."

"Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker." He hit the button, and then spoke again. "Okay, do you know anything about who kidnapped him?"

Castiel perked up almost instantly and his eyes became glued to the phone.

"I have a license plate number on that van."

Chuck read off the numbers, and Sam got a match.

"Looks like the van is registered to an Antson Tosh. He lives in Phoenix Arizona and works in a factory in old Scottsdale."

"I never saw his face." Said Chuck. "Can you send me a picture?"

"Yeah, sure." Sam called. He sent the email and then went back to his things.

"Who is this guy?" Asked Gabriel.

"I don't know. He looks like a regular guy." Said Sam.

Over the phone, Chuck's laptop dinged with the arrival of Sam's email and he gasped before the phone went silent.

"Dad? Are you there?" Asked Gabriel.

"Yeah. I'm here."

"What is it?"

"Can I call you back in about twenty minutes?"

Gabriel was surprised. "Yeah. Sure."

The line went dead, and the two brothers looked at each other in confusion. While Sam dug deeper into Antson, Gabriel wrapped a wing around his brother. He didn't say anything, but that simple gesture of love spoke volumes. Castiel smiled weakly at him, and Gabriel felt relieved inside.

The phone rang again exactly twenty minutes later. Gabriel answered and put it on speaker.

"You boys are going to want to sit down for this."

Looking at each other worriedly, the two sat down on the couch.

"When I first created humanity Azrael hadn't been imprisoned yet. He was very interested in my creations, but didn't get close to one until later. One of the daughters of Eve mated with him, and it was the incident that made up my mind to imprison him. With the help of the serpent that roamed the garden of Eden, she cloaked herself from my sight for the rest of her days. I assumed it was because of her shame. Long after she was gone, a young man walked the earth but I did not know his name, which had never occurred before. I only saw him a few times, the last being over two thousand years ago, but I never got close enough to find out who he was. but that's him. I recognize his face. I had a feeling something wasn't right so I started taking his name apart. The spelling was just too odd for my liking. It took me a while to list out all the possible anagrams, but I did it. One of the words stopped me cold. The word "death" is different in every language. In Greek, the word for death is Thantos. One of the anagrams for Antson Tosh is "Thantos' Son.". I think Azrael had a half-human son."


	34. The Call

Castiel felt shock ripple through him as his father explained Azrael's past. The idea of angels mating with anyone was already taboo, but with a human? It was practically unheard of! Gabriel was uncharacteristically quiet, denoting his own hidden opinion on the subject.

"Thanks Dad." Said Gabriel quietly.

"Sure. Call me if you need me."

"We will."

"Oh, and Castiel?"

"Yes?"

"You find that piece of trash and bring my grandson back safe."

"I will." He promised. Chuck smiled.

"Good. Goodbye boys."

"Bye."

They hung up the phone. For a few minutes they were unsure of what to do with themselves. That is, until Castiel's phone rang. Thinking it might be his Dad again, he put it on speaker and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Daddy?" Came the timid whimper through the phone line.

All at once the mood in the room shifted. It went from being slightly confused to anxiously quiet. No one dared to make a peep. In the sudden quiet, they all heard Castiel's breathing hitch at the familiar sound. It was Dean, that was certain. He took in a deep breath, then spoke.

"Hi buddy."

"Daddy, I don't know where I am. I'm scared." He whispered. Castiel shut his eyes. This was tearing him apart inside. It felt like someone had punched him in the chest, ripped his heart out, tore it up, and poured acid on it for good measure. He tried to steady himself and be strong for his son, knowing he would only get more upset if he heard him stressed.

"It's okay to be scared, bud. Don't you worry, Daddy's going to find you. Everything will be alright." He promised.

Dean erupted into a fit of coughing so intense that Cas worried he might get sick. His fears were confirmed when he heard the telltale signs of him getting sick. He winced when he realized that Dean was sobbing as he gasped for air. He could hear voices in the background, murmuring their anger.

"I want water." Dean asked innocently. No one ever spoke a reply, but he heard the unmistakable sound of a palm making impact with his cheek. It startled him so much that he flinched away from the phone hard enough to make Gabriel reach an arm out in case he fell over. There was a brief moment of quiet before Dean burst into tears again. Castiel felt emotion overtaking his reason. Fiery anger unlike anything he had ever felt blazed bright inside of him.

"Shut up!" Called a voice over the phone. Never before had Cas wanted to reach through the phone and hold his son so badly. Suddenly, he heard struggling over the line. Dean started screaming.

"Help me! Daddy! Daddy!" The screams grew fainter and fainter until they were inaudible. Then, a voice came over the phone, laughing heartily.

"You son of a-"

Gabriel coughed, reminding him that Sam was still present and possibly teetering between mindsets after hearing some of this call.

"What did you do to him?!" Castiel demanded, voice shockingly calm.

"Nothing. He just needed to calm down. Hello Castiel."

"I assume you're Antson."

"The one and only."

"Why have you taken my son?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

"Tell me where to find you."

"Now that would ruin all the fun! Talking to your son was a free pass, but the rest you have to figure out on your own. See you later, pretty boy."

"Wait-"

The dial tone blared at him. He sighed in exhaustion.

Castiel set his phone down, eyes staring blankly at the device. He put a hand over his mouth, unable to speak. There weren't words for what he was feeling right now. The heartbreak, the fear, the fury, and the confusion all mingled together in a cocktail of emotion that he had no name for. His skin was blanched white with fear. Gabriel had never seen him so shaken.

"Cassie?" Asked Gabriel, carefully. Cas remained silent. "Cassie, there was nothing you could have done. You could not have stopped this from happening."

"Dean's a fighter, Cas. He could have-" Sam began, but Castiel cut him off.

"I know what you're going to say. That Dean could have gotten away from them. Well you're wrong. When I put him down for a nap he could barely sit up on his own. His fever was 102 degrees. He was on the verge of hallucinating. He was so weak... there was no way he could have escaped."

Sam was quiet.

Claire stared at the angel in disbelief. Castiel was a parent? And of a full grown man no less. She wanted to find words to explain her feelings, but nothing came out. She had no idea how deep this ran, or what it could have felt like. But she remembered what it was like to have a real father. She supposed Dean had never had that experience based on how he was raised. Seeing Castiel as a father made her nostalgic for her own father, and she hated the fact that he was technically sitting right beside her but that she couldn't talk to him.

Abruptly, Castiel got up from the couch and went into the nursery. He flung the closet door open, pushed the clothing aside, and stared.

There, leaning up against the wall, was Azrael's scythe. He stared at it for a moment, faltering on his decision. But all it took was one replay of Dean's screaming for him to reassure himself that he had made the right decision. He gripped it in his hand and took it back to the living room.

Gabriel looked at his brother with both curiosity and worry. That call had really shaken him up. He wanted to ask if he was okay, but he knew it was a moot point. Instead a different question came out.

"What are you doing with that thing, Cassie?"

Castiel turned to look at him, eyes blazing with righteous fury.

"I'm going to hunt that SOB down."


	35. Wreckage

**Author's Note: If I had to put a song with this chapter, it would be "Wreckage" by Amy Bezunartea for the very end of the chapter. Prepare For Feels! And thanks for the reviews!**

Gabriel was, unsurprisingly, the first to react.

"Woah there, Cassalope. I understand you want to get this guy. Believe me, I do too, but going in unprepared with guns blazing isn't going to save Dean-o. We need to have a plan and an idea of where we're going first. Then you can go and do whatever you want to that idiot. Okay?"

Castiel sighed and nodded. "I suppose you're right."

"I'm your big brother. I'm always right."

Castiel just rolled his eyes at him while Gabriel snickered.

"First thing's first: where are we going?"

"I might be able to help with that." Sam piped up.

Gabriel turned his attention to Sam.

"While Cas was on the phone I traced the number and got a location. It's within a mile radius of a warehouse district in North Phoenix."

"How did they get all the way to Phoenix if they're humans?" Asked Claire.

"Antson is half angel. He may be capable of teleportation."

"Or the van might have just been there for show." Theorized Gabriel.

"Maybe." Castiel replied. "But it doesn't matter now."

"We need a plan." Gabriel continued.

"And we better make it fast." Added Castiel.

The four of them plotted and strategized for about an hour before they came up with a plan.

With a plan in mind, the four of them gathered together and then were teleported to the valley of the sun. Castiel and Gabriel had taken them straight to the center of the melee in hopes of starting there and working their way outward.

Once there, Castiel shut his eyes. He focused on his connection with Dean and felt a pull leading him to an old abandoned factory. As he had imagined, it was covered with warding sigils that were invisible to the ordinary eye. Gabriel and Castiel saw them. That was where Sam and Claire came in. They would go in and find Dean while the two brothers caused a distraction. Gabriel quickly created some women holding drinks outside the warehouse. That was easily enough incentive for the henchmen to appear. Castiel killed them off mercilessly.

Now there was only one left.

Gabriel and Castiel waited for the two of them to come back.

Claire and Sam arrived, but with bad news.

"We couldn't find Dean or Antson."

Castiel shook his head. "No. I know they're here. Help me mark out the sigils so I can see for myself."

The four of them painstakingly removed every sigil until Castiel could go in. He followed his instincts back into a room that appeared to be a manager's office. It was open a crack, so he stepped inside. Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust. There was a bookcase, a desk and chair, a lamp, and some file cabinets. He checked the bookcase for some type of passageway, but there was nothing. No doors, no escape hatch, no anything. He was about to go back out and search the rest of the place when he bumped against the desk. When it hit the wall, he stopped completely.

It sounded hollow.

He pushed the desk and chair aside and took out his angel blade before plunging it into the wall. Sure enough, there was a small tunnel just big enough to crawl through. He communicated this to Gabriel before going in. He knew he should have waited for backup, but he didn't care. This was just too important. He reached the other side and carefully climbed out, looking around. It was another warehouse, about the size of the other one, but unlike it's counterpart it was sectioned off. It would take hours to find Dean in this mess! Castiel was about to go and search for his son when he was slammed against the wall.

"Hello Castiel. I've been expecting you."

"Antson. But that isn't your real name, is it?"

"Better than what my mother named me. Apollyon. It was too complicated for my liking, so I renamed myself."

"What do you want with my son?"

"This isn't about him. This is about the two of you. You both killed my father, so the both of you are going to pay for it."

"Where have you taken him?"

"He's here. You'll get to see him- but not before you're dressed properly."

"What do you mean?"

The tasering device came out and once again Castiel collapsed to the ground. But this time he was expecting it. He had put on a rubber suit underneath his clothing. Just as Antson was about to put the handcuffs on, Castiel whipped them around and cuffed him instead. Antson stared at him in shock before Castiel angrily threw him up against the wall.

"Did you make that taser?"

Antson nodded. "I have a lot of free time on my hands. I like tinkering with things. Making them fit my purposes." Castiel looked down at the handcuffs.

"I'm guessing these interfere with your abilities. But just to be safe..." He drained him of what little grace he had. Then, he held his own angel blade to his throat.

"You're going to tell me where my son is, and you're going to do it now unless you want to be dead in two seconds."

"I don't care what you do to me. You aren't getting me to squeal. You not knowing where he is is the best revenge there is. I hope you never find him."

Castiel's eyes narrowed, and he was about to strike when Gabriel stopped him. He looked at his brother, who took his angel blade from his grip and replaced it with Azrael's scythe.

"Where did you get that?!" Antson bellowed, indignant. Castiel smirked.

"You'll never know." He relished the look of absolute terror in his enemy's eyes.

With a mighty chop, he beheaded Azrael's son.

He only stopped long enough to make sure he was dead before dropping the scythe and running from room to room, searching for his son.

It was Gabriel who eventually found him on a completely different side of the building.

Dean was in rusty chains, dangling from a wall. His head was bowed as if he were praying, but he was likely sleeping from the soft snores coming from him. Gabriel rushed over to him.

"Dean-o! Dean-o, wake up!" He said, patting his nephew's cheek. Dean's eyes opened and he gazed up sleepily at his Uncle. Brief recognition crossed his face.

"Uncle Gabe?"

"It's me." He affirmed.

"I wanna go home."

"I'll take you home. But first we need to get you down."

Gabriel unlocked the shackles and Dean went tumbling to the floor. Gabriel expected him to cry out in pain, but he just blinked. Gabriel picked him up and settled him on his hip. Just then, Castiel, Sam, and Claire burst in. Gabriel bounced Dean up and down a little to rouse him.

"Hey Dean-o, who's that?" He said, pointing at Castiel. Dean looked up at him.

"Daddy." He said automatically. It took him a minute to connect the dots, but when he did, his eyes grew wide and he immediately struggled to get down from his Uncle's grasp. Gabriel obliged and set him on his feet and watched him run to Castiel with the last bit of energy he had left. Castiel squatted and opened his arms, more than ready to have his son back in them. In perfect synchronicity, Dean leapt into his waiting arms and Castiel picked him up and clutched him to his chest. He could hear Dean beginning to sob into his shoulder. He wasn't sure if that was what did it, or if it was the fact that his son had almost been killed twice in a week, but he just... Broke. He dropped to his knees, still holding his son and felt tears of relief streaming down his face.

Amidst all the wreckage around them was a small ocean of peace.


	36. Comfort

**Author's Note: Don't worry, Corgimom! I'd never stop without telling you guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Claire, Gabriel, and Sam watched over father and son as they wept together. Gabriel had never seen his brother cry before. A single tear maybe, but nothing like this. He was quiet, standing near Sam on instinct as he watched his brother pick himself and his son up off the ground. Castiel's eyes were red rimmed from crying, but he could see the happiness there. He put his hands on Claire and Sam as Cas put his on Dean. Instantly, they were back at the cabin. Cas brought Dean back to the nursery while Sam and Gabriel went to the living room, leaving Claire torn between the two.

Finally, too curious for her own good, she followed Castiel and Dean. The nursery door was open a crack, so she looked inside.

Castiel finally took his seat in the rocking chair and pried Dean's arms from his neck so that he could look him in the eye. He waited for Dean to look him in the eye, and then pressed a kiss to his forehead. He still had a high fever. He ran a hand through his hair. He loved him so much.

"Daddy?"

"Yes baby?"

"Why are you crying?"

He didn't realize he still was. Absently, he wiped his face.

"Because I'm happy."

"You are?"

"Of course I am. You're home safe and sound. That's all that matters to me."

Dean shifted uncomfortably in his lap. Cas furrowed his brow.

"What is it, baby boy?"

"... You still want me?"

Complete shock crossed Castiel's face. It took him a moment to recover himself.

"Of course I want you! Sweetheart, why on earth would I not?" He said, stroking Dean's cheek affectionately.

Dean looked down. "They said you wouldn't want me anymore 'cause I'm broken."

"What makes you think you're broken?"

Hesitantly, Dean rolled up his sleeve. Castiel gasped.

His arms were covered in black and blue splotches. His wrists were red and bruised at the same time, and Castiel could have sworn something his arm was broken.

Dean, mistaking his gasp for one of disgust, quickly rolled his sleeve down.

"Oh sweetheart you don't think..." He trailed off. Dean didn't look Cas in the eye, confirming that that was exactly what he thought.

Cas pulled him close to his chest and rubbed his back gently.

"Dean, there is nothing in this world that could ever make me see you as broken. More than that, you aren't broken at all."

Dean looked up at him timidly. "I'm not?"

"No. And you'll never be broken. Not to me. You're my baby boy, and that means I think you're perfect just the way you are."

"Really?"

"I promise." He said, kissing his forehead again. "Now, let's get you feeling better, hmm?"

Dean nodded. Castiel pressed two fingers to his forehead and concentrated. When he put his hand down Dean rolled up his sleeve to see all of the bruises gone. He smiled.

"So you're not gonna decide you don't want me anymore?"

"Never, sweetheart. There's no one who could ever take your place. Nobody could make me smile like you do. No one could make me laugh the way you do. No one could make me proud the way you do. There's only room for one baby boy in my heart, and you're it." He said, tickling Dean under his chin, eliciting a small giggle from him.

"I love you Daddy." He said, snuggling into Cas sleepily. Cas stroked his hair and smiled.

"I love you too, buddy."

Claire smiled and made her way to the living room. Maybe she didn't quite understand what was going on here, but it didn't take much for her to see that this made Castiel and Dean very happy. Although she had to admit that seeing Dean sitting on the lap of what she still considered to be her father's body sent a pang of jealousy through her.

Sam and Gabriel were sitting on the couch, talking quietly to one another. To Gabriel it was clearly evident that seeing Dean so weak and defeated had shaken him up. Gabriel could see Sam's need to be little, so while Claire was gone (to the restroom, they presumed) he took the time to comfort his little boy.

"Daddy, what's gonna happen to Dean?" Sam had asked him.

"What do you mean, Sammy?"

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"Of course. He's just sick. He'll get better soon."

"I mean about being taken."

"I think he just needs some time with Uncle Cas and then he'll be fine." Gabriel promised. Sam nodded, but was still worried inside. Gabriel put an arm around his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "He's going to be fine, Sammy. Trust me."

Sam sighed. "You really think so?"

"Yes I do."

"Okay Daddy. I trust you."

Gabriel ruffled his son's hair playfully. Sam smiled, full of boyish optimism. Gabriel put his arm down when Claire entered and smiled at her. She sat and spoke with them until Castiel came out fifteen minutes later. Gabriel was the first to speak.

"Hey Cassie. He asleep?"

"Yeah. From the looks of things he'll be that way for a while."

"Good. He looked exhausted."

"He is. I can't imagine what he's been through. There were bruises all over his body and I think one of his arms was broken..."

Gabriel winced. "You saved him, Cassie. Just focus on that."

"I can't stop thinking about the promise I made him. That Azrael would never hurt him again... And now look at him... I broke my promise..."

"Cassie, there was no way you could have known this would happen."

"Maybe. I just... I can't forgive myself. Not yet..."

"I understand."

Claire finally spoke up. "Could you guys give us a minute?"

Sam and Gabriel looked surprised, but nodded.

"We'll be in Sammy's room if you need us."

Castiel nodded, and watched as Sam and Gabriel exited the room before looking over to Claire.

It was time to tell her everything.


	37. Questions

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delayed update folks! But I just got the very exciting news that I got my first job and have been busy preparing for that and celebrating! Here's another chapter. I hope you like it!**

Claire looked over at Castiel and smiled slightly.

"So I take it you don't share this with many people."

"No. Not even Gabriel and Sam were supposed to know. But this kind of secret doesn't stay secret for long. It was bound to come out sometime. So I suppose it's alright that you know. We're used to it."

"How did this even happen, anyways?"

Castiel patiently explained the dream that had started it all and the events that followed. Claire seemed indifferent, other than a nod. She would never be able to tell him that seeing him like that with Dean made her miss her own father more than ever. However, the Angel paid more attention than she realized. Now that he was a parent he understood subtext so much better. He was silent for a moment, grappling with the words inside his head.

"Did you know that I have access to all of your fathers memories?"

Claire looked up at him. "Really? You do?"

Castiel nodded. "Yes I do. As a matter of fact, he helped me the most out of anyone when it came to being a father because I got to watch him with you."

"Are you serious?"

Again, he nodded. "He had a lot of good memories with you. There were a few in particular he loved the most. Like holding you for the first time, having you walk to him, taking you to your first pony ride when you were four, baking a cake with you at five, going and sticking white flowers in your hair when you went to a meadow at six, and playing wedding with you when you were seven. Seeing his love, compassion, patience, and joy have helped me to become a better parent, and he wouldn't have been that way if it weren't for you. I owe you just as much of a thank you as I do him. So thank you. You helped to save my son, and I will never be able to repay you for that."

Claire stared at him in complete shock. How was she supposed to respond to that?

"I don't know what to say." She admitted. Cas smiled.

"Just say you'll come and visit every once in a while."

Claire grinned. "You got it."

They sat there and talked with one another for a while. Castiel explained more of what their lives entailed now that this lifestyle had begun, and Claire told him about her latest hunting expeditions. When she felt that she overstayed her welcome, Claire gave Castiel a hug before he took her back home. When Castiel got back he went and checked on Sam and Gabriel, both of whom were fine, before he went back to the nursery. Thankfully, Dean was still sleeping peacefully. He sat in the rocking chair and got out the book he'd been reading. Mouthing the words as he read the enochian text, he quietly rocked back and forth in the chair until Dean stirred to life. Castiel shut his book and set it down before lowering the side of the crib.

"Hey there baby boy." He said, picking Dean up and cradling him to his chest. Dean rubbed at his eyes sleepily and yawned before he considered himself to be truly awake. He smiled up at his Daddy and snuggled into his chest.

"How are you feeling, buddy?" He asked. Dean took a minute to take a physical inventory. He wasn't hurting anymore. He smiled, and Castiel smiled back. "Good. Are you ready to see what Sammy and Uncle Gabe are up to?

Dean nodded, and Castiel went over to sam's room. He opened up the door to see Sam sitting on the floor playing with some toy trucks, Gabriel observing him. When he saw his little brother and nephew outside the door, he grinned and waved them in. He stood up and went over to Dean.

"Hey Dean-o. How are you doing?" He asked, ruffling his hair.

Dean smiled and reached out to give his uncle a hug. Gabriel was more than happy to return the favor. When Sam finally looked up, he smiled.

"Uncle Cas!" He cheered. Castiel chuckled.

"What are you up to, Sammy?"

"Playing with fire trucks!"

"That sounds fun."

"There's a doggy on the truck, see?" He said, pointing to the Dalmatian. That gave him an idea. "Daddy?" He asked, turning to Gabriel, who was now holding Dean.

"Yes, Sammy?"

"Can we get a dog?" He asked with pleading eyes. Castiel chuckled when he saw the grimace that crossed Dean's face. Dean shook his head no and clung to his uncle, whose mind was at a standstill. He couldn't bear to tell Sam no, but he couldn't stand the idea of a dog in the house for some reason. Gabriel looked over at his little brother, desperate for support. Maybe if Cassie said no he wouldn't be the bad guy here. Castiel raised his hands up, respectfully bowing out of the discussion. Gabriel looked to Dean next, but he had buried his face in his Uncle's shirt, not wanting to be a part of the debate either. Sammy already knew how he felt about dogs. For once it wouldn't be his fault if someone said no. Gabriel was working up his nerve to tell him no. He turned and looked at Sam, only to be met with the most heart-melting pair of puppy dog eyes in the boy's Arsenal. His steel resolve crumbled in an instant. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out yet. The look had disarmed even his strongest argument against a dog In the house. Damn. It should be illegal to be that adorable. When something finally did come out of his mouth, it wasn't nearly as stern as he wanted it to be.

"We'll see." Said Gabriel, obviously trying to be stern and failing. Sammy gave him his brightest little boy smile in hopes of swaying him.

The four of them laughed at the expressions on their faces.


	38. Convulsions

Since Claire was now gone, the four of them brought playtime back into the living room. Sam was extremely engaged in his playing, making noises, moving people, and just being more involved in general. Dean was only playing a little bit. It wasn't that he didn't want to play, he just didn't feel good enough to do it well. So he chose to stay back with his Daddy for the most part. Castiel hadn't had much of a chance to attempt to treat his cold, mostly because it had evolved so fast that he hadn't been able to pinpoint what it was and cure it. But he wasn't worried about that today.

He really should have been.

Dean was building a castle out of blocks when a strange metallic taste entered his mouth. He spat his pacifier out on instinct. It wasn't supposed to taste like that... Was it? He felt his mind growing confused and fuzzy. His arm began to tingle in an odd way, and he felt himself losing control of his bladder and bowels. The former may have happened often, but the latter never had. What was wrong with him?! He didn't have time to ponder the question. He felt detachment from his body occur. It was like he was looking down at someone else when the answer to what he was feeling finally made itself clear.

"Dean, why did you spit out your paci, sweetheart? That isn't like you." Said Cas. But Dean didn't answer him. "Dean?" He asked, gently shaking his shoulder. But Dean was staring at something none of them could see- it was a hallucination of his Momma.

"Dean," She whispered, "Sweetheart, you're alright. You're just going to have a seizure."

As soon as she said it, he jerked upward and fell to the floor, landing face up on the ground.

They all rushed to his side immediately, and after no more than two seconds of stillness, the convulsions began. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he let out a scream just before he began to jerk.

He knew they were all talking to him, but he couldn't hear them. It was like hearing things under water- muffled and distant. His vision was shaking and black in some parts, and tunneled in others. The only one he constantly saw was his Momma. Maybe she wasn't a hallucination- maybe she was an angel sent to watch over him. The points of the thought were scattered in his mind as he tried to piece them together, but failed. His language had left him, and when he tried to speak all that came out was a grunt. He was jerking violently. Somehow, that was clear. The faces of people he should have been able to recognize swam in front of his vision. He saw their mouths moving, talking to him, but he couldn't make anything out. Momma was the only one he could hear. She told him she was timing his seizure and that he was alright, he would be okay. He saw her ghostly touch come and smooth his hair soothingly. He focused on that- or at least he tried to. There was only so much he could do. Consciousness was not constant and he weaved in and out of it.

The second his body hit the floor, Castiel sprang into action. He hurriedly took off his trench coat and folded it up into a makeshift pillow and turned Dean onto his side. He gently rubbed Dean's back, whispering soothing reassurances into his ear. Before they had ever started this lifestyle, he had made a point of it to read up on any possible illnesses that could befall a human. He knew that this was a seizure, and he knew exactly what to do to take care of it. Sam and Gabriel, however, weren't as ready for this as he was. Sam sat by his brother, crying quietly as he watched him jerking on the ground. Gabriel had both hands on Sam's shoulders, trying to comfort him as best he could.

The jerking slowly came to a stop over the course of five minutes, and Dean started gasping for air. Castiel could hear his struggle to breathe, and felt guilt well up inside of him. Why hadn't he done anything? Slowly, Dean's breathing evened out, and Castiel checked his mouth for any vomit before laying him on his back and stroking his hair. His green eyes were glassy, but slowly came into focus again. He looked up at Castiel, confused.

"Daddy?"

Castiel sighed in relief. "Hey buddy."

"What happened?"

"You just had a seizure but you're okay now."

Dean frowned, brow furrowed. Castiel put a hand to his forehead, trying to find out the problem. Once he saw inside Dean's mind, he understood. He led Dean back to the nursery to get him changed. When they came back out, they saw Gabriel comforting Sam. Dean let go of his Daddy's hand and went over to give his brother a hug. It calmed Sam down almost instantly.

"Sorry Sammy." He whispered. Sam smiled.

"Thanks."

Dean nodded, then yawned. Castiel ran a hand through his hair.

"Are you tired, sweetheart?" He nodded. Castiel picked him up. "Come on, let's get you back in bed."

Castiel carried him back to the nursery and made sure that he was comfortable before laying him down. He waited until Dean was sleeping to leave. He was about to go back out to the living room when he saw Sam's door open. Gabriel was reading him a story and trying to settle him down for a nap, but Sam wasn't having it. Cas went in and knelt by Sam's bed.

"Sammy, Dean's not going anywhere right now. If anything happened to him I promise I would wake you up. But you both need to get some rest now, okay? When you wake up Dean will be there to play with you. Alright?"

Sam nodded and yawned. "'Kay. Night Daddy. Night Uncle Cas."

"Goodnight Sammy." They said together before leaving the room.


	39. Accidents

Castiel and Gabriel were sitting in the living room while dinner was cooking in the oven. The boys had been put down for a nap a half hour ago. The two of them had been talking for a while about this and that, but Castiel had not been as invested in the conversation as he normally would have been. This didn't escape his brother's notice. Gabriel knew when something was bothering Castiel, just as easily as Dean knew when something was bothering Sam. Tonight was no exception. Gabriel noticed his brother's unusually quiet demeanor and finally couldn't take it anymore. He decided to call him out on it.

"Alright Cassie, spill it. What's on your mind?" He asked, moving to face him.

Castiel sighed. He couldn't get anything past Gabriel's watchful eye. "I really don't want to talk about it, Gabriel."

"Well too bad. This is probably the only chance we have to talk, so you're going to talk wether you like it or not. Now dish before I look inside your head against your wishes."

Cas shot his brother a look. "I was thinking about Dean."

"No shit, Sherlock." Gabriel snorted. "What about him?"

"I feel terrible. I couldn't stop the seizure. I couldn't do anything. I've never felt so useless. I can't even cure his cold because I can't pinpoint it's origin. If I can't even do that for my son, what kind of father am I?" He questioned.

"A Normal one." Gabriel replied. "Look Cassie, you want to protect your kid. I get it. I'm the same way with Sammy, but there's a difference between us. Do you know what that is?" Castiel shook his head. "I know that I can't protect him from everything, and I accept that. You haven't accepted it yet, and that's your problem. You can't blame yourself for every awful thing that happens to him. Especially ones you could never have seen coming. You have to learn to let it go."

"How?" He asked, helplessly.

"You have to make peace with it in your own way. It's different for everyone. I don't know what it will look like for you, but the sooner you do it, the happier you'll be. And if you need some time alone, I can watch the rugrats for a while. Okay?"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now go make peace with yourself."

"Thank you brother."

"Anytime."

Instantly, Castiel disappeared.

Gabriel smiled at his little brother, and then got up to check how dinner was doing. He turned on the oven light and saw that the casserole was doing fine, and went back to the couch. He turned on the TV and got himself lost in the world of Dr. Sexy MD.

It wasn't until an hour later that he heard a noise that made him shut off the TV. It sounded like hitched breathing and quickly evolved into sobs. Gabriel leapt to his feet, determined to keep his promise to Cassie. When he got to the nursery, however, he saw that Dean was still fast asleep. That meant the noises were coming from Sammy.

Gabriel gently shut the nursery door and ran to Sam's bedroom. He opened the door to see Sam with his knees pulled up to his chest, sniffling quietly to himself. Gabriel went over to him and knelt beside his bed.

"Sammy, what happened, buddy?"

Sam jumped when he heard Gabriel's voice. Apparently he hadn't heard him come in. Gabriel felt a twinge of guilt when Sam flinched away from him, but quickly buried it. Sam whimpered.

"I had a accident." He said, unable to look his Daddy in the eye. As soon as Sam said it, Gabriel could smell the stench of urine in the air. Gabriel was very careful to keep his expression stoic. He didn't want Sam to feel any more embarrassed than he already was. He lifted Sam up and set him on his feet before quickly making his sheets clean. Then, he did the same to Sam's pants. Once he was clean, Gabriel sat down on the bed and pulled Sam into his lap.

"Sammy, look at me, please." Gabriel said in a voice that was soft and yet commanded authority. Hesitantly, Sam looked up at him. "How old are you, Sam?"

Sam held up five fingers. Gabriel smiled and ruffled his hair. "That's right." He praised. "And sometimes little boys have accidents. And that's okay, isn't it?" Sam nodded a little. "That's what we have your big boy training pants, right?" Sam blushed, but nodded. He leaned against his Daddy's chest, still sleepy. "Are you still tired, bud?" He asked, stroking Sam's hair gently. Sam snuggled closer to him, slipping his thumb into his mouth. Gabriel smiled and picked him up. He laid him on the bed and went to the dresser to get out a pull up from one of the drawers. Sam was already dozing by the time Gabriel turned back toward him. He couldn't help but smile at his son, secretly thanking his father that Sam was pretty much asleep for this. He had a feeling that if Sam had been conscious for this event he would have never allowed it to happen. Gabriel removed Sam's pants and underwear before sliding the pull up up his legs. He quickly put Sam's pants back on him and handed him his favorite stuffed dog before going back out to the living room.

He was going to sit back on the couch when the timer went off. It was time for the casserole to come out of the oven. Gabriel put on his oven mitts and opened up the oven door to see the casserole bubbling on the rack. Gabriel set the glass pan on the cooling rack and closed the oven. Now the casserole had fifteen minutes to cool before it was ready to eat. Gabriel tossed the oven mitts back on top of the oven and went to lay down on the couch, wondering what his brother was up to right now.


	40. Told

**Author' Note: Thanks for all the reviews, Corgimom! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Castiel had taken a walk through the forest to try and come to terms with what had happened to both him and his son. The sun was just beginning to set below the mountains, but it was still warm out. The birds were still chirping, as were the crickets. It all combined to make a relaxing atmosphere. Cas came across a tree that had fallen over, and went to sit on it. He went through everything that had happened in his head over and over again. He broke everything down piece by piece and spent a long time convincing himself that there was nothing he could have done to prevent this from happening, and that he had made the right call in the end. When he finally made peace with himself, it was well into the evening.

He got up to start going home, when he felt his father calling to him. He was torn. He wanted to go back home and see his son, but he knew his father wouldn't call without a reason. He opened his connection with Gabriel to tell him what was happening, only to find Gabriel telling him that their father was calling to him too. Castiel made the executive decision to go on behalf of the both of them and with no hesitation disappeared into the black and starless night.

Gabriel headed down the hall to wake the boys up from their nap. He began with Dean, rubbing his back gently.

"Dean-o, time to wake up, buddy. It's dinner time."

Dean squirmed a little and opened bleary eyes. Gabriel smiled down at him, and he smiled back unconsciously. Gabriel picked him up and changed him quickly before settling him on his hip and going to wake Sam. Gabriel knelt down to him and stroked his hair.

"Sammy, it's time to get up."

"No it's not." He mumbled, turning over.

"Yes it is. Come on now, it's dinner time." Sam opened his eyes and yawned tiredly. "Do I need to carry you too?" He joked. Sam shook his head, instantly awake.

"No Daddy. I'm a big boy."

"Alright then big boy, lets go eat."

Gabriel carried Dean out to the living room while Sam ran ahead of them. When Dean didn't see his Daddy anywhere, he frowned and pressed his hand to his uncle's cheek. Gabriel patted his back soothingly.

"Don't worry Dean-o. Your Daddy will be back soon, he just had to take care of something first."

Dean nodded as Gabriel sat him in his chair. Sam sat beside him, swinging his legs happily.

Gabriel was in the middle of serving dinner when he felt his father calling. He was so busy with the boys that he didn't answer. Luckily, Cas had heard the call too and had volunteered to find out what it was about. That gave Gabriel the opportunity to focus on dinner. He fed Dean bites of his dinner and made sure Sam ate all of his before treating himself to a few candy bars and giving each of the boys a slice of cake for dessert.

When dinner was done Gabriel only needed a few seconds to clean everything up. Then he took both boys to the living room to play. He left the room for only a second to retrieve a thermometer. He really did need to check Dean's temperature. He had Dean stick it under his tongue and waited until it beeped. 100.2. Not necessarily great, but better. He gave Dean some Tylenol to try and combat his fever, before letting him play with Sam.

It was about twenty minutes later when Castiel finally returned. Dean eagerly reached up to his father and snuggled him once he was picked up. Castiel gave him a kiss and put a hand to his forehead. He did feel better than earlier. Once he was satisfied, he set Dean back down on the floor (much to his protest). Castiel quickly hushed him and pulled his brother aside in the other room.

"What did Dad want?" Gabriel asked. Castiel looked over at Sam and Dean to make sure that they were occupied before whispering the news into his ear. Gabriel's eyes widened.

"But they never-" Castiel put a hand over his mouth to shut him up.

"I know they never said anything. But it's true. Dad had no reason to lie about this. We have to think of a plan. They can't know about this."

"We'd need them out of the house. How are we going to do that?"

"We'd need someone to babysit..."

"How about Ellen and Jo?"

"That could work. I'll give them a call. What are we going to tell the boys?"

"We'll say that Dad needs us upstairs. It's just for a little while."

"Alright. I'll go make the call." Castiel went into the next room and took out his cell phone, dialing Ellen's number. The phone rang, and he waited impatiently for her to pick up. Finally, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Ellen? This is Castiel."

"Hey Cas. What can I do for you."

"I need a favor. Do you think you could watch Sam and Dean at the roadhouse tomorrow?"

"Sure. Can I ask why?"

Castiel quickly explained the situation. "Of course you and Jo and Bobby are welcome to come once this is over."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Ellen."

"Anytime. Bye, Cas."

"Goodbye."

He ended the call and put his phone away before going back into the living room. Sam and Dean were rolling a ball back and forth to one another. Cas smiled at them and then went over to Dean, who was looking at him with a huge grin on his face. He kissed the crown of his son's head and knelt beside him, smiling brightly. He ran a hand through Dean's hair affectionately.

"Guess what, buddy?" Dean stopped rolling the ball and cocked his head to the side curiously. "You and Sammy are going to visit Aunt Ellen tomorrow!"


	41. Babysitting

**Author's Note: Kind of a filler chapte, but still important. Please review!**

Dean frowned when he heard that he would be staying with Ellen and Jo for the day. Not because he didn't like them- it was actually the complete opposite. He loved spending time with them. But after everything he's been through the past couple days and being sick on top of that, he just wanted to be with his Daddy. But he knew he couldn't always have it his way, which is why he said nothing when Castiel made the announcement. It wasn't until they were preparing to leave the next day that he finally got curious.

"Why are you and Uncle Gabe taking us to Aunt Ellen's?" Dean asked as Cas tied his shoes.

"Because Grandpa needs our help with something."

"Why can't I come with you? Grandpa loves me, I bet he'd be happy to see me."

"I'm sure he would, baby. But sometimes he needs us for grown up things, so you'll just have to wait. I promise I won't be gone very long. Just a few hours, that's all." He swore. Reluctantly, Dean nodded.

Castiel put the bag he'd packed for Dean over his shoulder before picking up Dean himself. He went over to Gabriel who had a similar bag with him as he held Sam's hand.

"Ready?" Asked Gabriel. Cas nodded and flapped his wings. Almost instantly, they were there. Ellen was up at the front, cleaning the bar, and grinned at the sight of the two boys.

"Hello boys. How are you doing?" She asked, coming out from the bar to greet them. Sam smiled at her happily and gave her a hug, while Dean was fighting to keep his eyes open. Castiel and Gabriel set their bags down. Ellen took one look at Dean and frowned. "Is he okay?"

"He's just nervous, that's all. He's been really sick this week. His fever got bad enough that it caused a seizure. Scared us all half to death." Castiel murmured, setting him down on the floor. Dean whimpered and instinctively reached for his coat. Castiel hushed him before rummaging through the bag to find his beloved blue blanket. Dean grabbed it the second it was within arms reach and nuzzled it against his face. Cas smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the head.

"You be a good boy for your Aunt Ellen and Aunt Jo, okay?" He asked. Dean nodded, sticking his thumb in his mouth and sucking tiredly. Castiel ruffled his hair proudly before looking at Ellen. "There's Tylenol in his bag in case his fever spikes again. He needs to have his temperature taken every two hours. I took it an hour ago." Ellen nodded. Castiel turned toward his brother who was saying goodbye to Sam, and waited for him to finish. They looked at each of the boys and, with a nod of goodbye, left the room.

If Dean hadn't been so tired he would have thrown a temper tantrum right then and there. Instead, he curled up on the floor underneath his blanket and fell asleep.

Sam, who probably should have been tired but wasn't, rolled his eyes. Dean was so boring sometimes. He pushed the thought aside and eyed the bag his Daddy had packed for him. What did he bring him? He wondered. He unzipped the bag and looked inside. At the very top of the pile was his favorite stuffed puppy. Under that was three of his favorite books, a coloring book with crayons, and some of his Legos. In the outer pockets were a box of Apple juice and some baby carrots- his favorite afternoon snack. He grinned. Daddy had thought of everything.

Ellen picked Dean up and carried him to one of the back rooms so that he could have some privacy. When she came back out, Jo had come out and started playing with Sam. About an hour went by before she noticed him trying to stifle a yawn. She grinned at him.

"Are you tired, Sam?"

"No!" He said a little too quickly. Jo had to suppress a giggle.

"Are you sure? It's okay if you are, you know."

"I'm fine." He insisted. Jo let it go, but Ellen had a feeling that there was something else going on here. Before she had a chance to investigate, a glance at the clock told her it was time to take Dean's temperature. She went to the back and rummaged around the drawer until she found the thermometer. When she stuck it under his armpit, it read 99.3. Still a little warm, but not anything serious. Thank God. She went back out to see Jo still struggling with a fussy Sam. She went over to Sam and waved her daughter off, asking her to go and grab a case of beer to put in the back. She led Sam over to one of the tables and Set him in her lap.

"Do you want to tell me about what's bothering you?" She asked, looking at him knowingly. He instantly looked away from her prying gaze and shook his head.

"No."

"Come on Sam, I can't help unless you tell me."

Sam shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I don't want any help." He whined. "Not even from Daddy."

That gave Ellen pause. If he was struggling to share this with Gabriel, how could she try and get him to tell her?

"Does your Daddy know about this?"

Sam nodded. "Yes."

Ellen sighed. She knew that this wasn't the way to get through to him.

"How about we play a little, hmm?"

Sam brightened instantly. "Yeah!"

Ellen went over to the bag Gabriel had packed, looking for some more Legos when she stumbled upon a zippered compartment. She felt around inside and knew instantly what it was. It was easy to put two and two together.

"Sam," she asked, looking over at him. He stopped building with his Legos and looked at her. "Have you been having accidents, honey?" Sam froze at her words and she knew she'd found what had been upsetting him. She acted quickly and pulled him into a hug. "There's no shame in that."

"But I-"

"No buts. Is this why you didn't want to take a nap?" He nodded. "It's okay to have accidents, Sam. That's why your Daddy packed you that pull up. He wants you to know that it's okay."

Sam nodded, unable to look at her. "Can I take my nap now?" He didn't want to sleep, but he couldn't bear to be awake now either.

Ellen smiled. "Of course."

She led him to the back and waited for him to change into his pull up before tucking him into bed. Before the door closed, he was asleep.


	42. Surprises

Although Sam was extremely tired, his fear kept waking him up every hour or so. When two hours had passed, he finally gave up. His body wasn't going to let him sleep any more. He kicked off the covers and stood up, taking the pull up off and getting redressed before searching for Ellen and Jo. He found Ellen in Dean's room, changing him into a fresh diaper. Being a mother, her instincts were sharp as a tack. She sensed Sam there before he even made a peep.

"Can you hand me the baby powder, Sam?"

He blinked. How did she know he was here? He shook his head and handed it to her.

"Thank you."

She finished diapering a still sleepy looking Dean, then gave him some Tylenol, just to make sure his fever stayed low. When that was done, she led both boys back out to the front of the roadhouse. Dean planted himself on the floor, cuddling with his blanket while Sam looked up at Ellen expectantly.

"Do you want to have your snack now, Sam?" She asked. He nodded and she handed him his carrots and juice. Dean never said a word about wanting anything to eat. He just sat there, perfectly still. Sam started eating, but Dean made a face and turned away. The idea of food wasn't appealing right now.

He looked over at where his bag was and went over to it, wondering what Daddy left him. There were two of his favorite books and a recorder. Cas had made a tape of himself reading the books so that Dean could hear his voice. He had packed his favorite toy Impala, a few liked action figures, and an iPod full of songs that made Dean feel happy. Last but not least was his pacifier. He smiled and popped it into his mouth, then plugged the headphones from the iPod into the recorder and pressed play, following along with the book. When that was over, he turned back to Sam, but smelt his food. His stomach roiled in the worst way and he spat his pacifier out. He ran to the trash can and threw up.

Ellen was there instantly to help hold him up. He was so weak that he could barely stand up. She rubbed his back and hushed him while he cried, frightened. He was like that for twenty minutes, confused and frightened. When he was sure it was over, he curled up on the floor with his blanket. Ellen stayed with him while Jo tried to entertain Sam. He was just as worried about his brother as anyone else was and refused to leave his sight. Ellen left briefly to take his temperature and saw his fever spike. Dean shivered under his blanket and whimpered quietly. What was wrong with him? He didn't have much time to ponder the question. A haze of confusion entered his brain. He was suddenly quiet and still. He grunted, and then the seizure began. His body began to jerk uncontrollably and his head kept hitting the floor. Ellen grabbed his blanket and put it under his head to cushion the blow, and turned him onto his side. Sam started trying to get to his brother, but Jo held him back. She knew he could get hurt. When the seizure slowed two minutes later, Jo let a crying Sam go sit with his brother.

It took a minute or so more for the seizure to stop completely. Dean was still completely unaware of his surroundings. Sam and Jo both looked worried, but Ellen looked as if she'd had an epiphany. She had Jo take her place by Dean and quickly ran to the computer. She had a hunch about what was really ailing Dean. She put in all of his symptoms and it came back a perfect match. It wasn't a cold or flu ailing him.

It was Low blood sodium.

It caused fevers, weakness, fatigue, confusion, irritability, seizures, and headaches.

Now that she knew, she wrote down how to cure it before going back out to everyone else. Dean was still staring glassy-eyed at the wall. Sam kept tapping his shoulder, telling him to wake up. Tears were in his eyes, and Ellen felt pity well up inside of her for him. Dean finally started moving after fifteen more minutes. He was confused and felt like a bog had entered his brain. But he responded to their questions appropriately, so that was a relief.

It was about a half an hour after that that Castiel and Gabriel returned for their children. Castiel saw Dean staring at him sleepily and smiled before gently picking him up.

"He was a very sick little boy today." Said Ellen. "He threw up a few times and had a seizure while you were gone, but I think I finally pinpointed what was wrong with him." She handed him the paper on low blood sodium. It all made perfect sense. Castiel pressed two fingers to Dean's forehead and searched for the ailment. To his absolute relief, he found it and was able to cure it. Instantly, Dean was back to his regular self, and Castiel silently thanked his father for that.

"Thank you so much for helping." Castiel said gratefully. "Are you coming with us?"

"You bet." Said Jo, grabbing her purse. Dean and Sam both looked up at Castiel curiously.

"Where are we going, Daddy?" Dean asked sweetly.

"You'll see." He promised, ruffling Dean's hair. He and Gabriel shared a look and nodded to one another before putting a hand on Ellen and Jo and disappearing. They rematerialized outside the cabin, and both boys looked at him curiously. Castiel opened the front door and walked inside the darkened place. He waited for everyone else to come in and the door behind him to shut before flipping on the light switch.

Then, at least half a dozen people jumped out of hiding places and all shouted,

"SURPRISE! Happy Birthday, Dean!"


	43. Family

**Author's Note: Sorry for the late update guys! Work stuff held me up, but I still have this chapter for you! Enjoy!**

Dean was completely shocked and awed by what he saw. When the surprise wore off, he looked at his Daddy in confusion.

"This is for me?" He asked. Castiel smiled at him.

"Of course. It's your day, baby boy."

"I didn't know it was today."

"I know. I wanted to surprise you."

"Why did you let me forget?"

"I thought you knew."

Dean shook his head. Castiel chuckled. "Well now you know." He set Dean on his feet so that he could say hello to his guests.

Bobby gave him a hug and wished him a happy birthday. Claire said hello and did the same. Dean smiled and went over to Chuck, who was grinning idiotically.

"Grandpa, was this your idea?"

Chuck laughed. "You caught me! Happy Birthday, Dean."

He turned back to Ellen, Jo, Gabriel, and Sam.

"Did Daddy tell all you guys, too?"

"Everyone except for Sammy here." Said Gabriel. Dean looked over at his brother.

"Daddy doesn't think I can keep a secret." Sam murmured, disgruntled.

"I think you can keep a secret, just not from your brother." Said Gabriel, ruffling Sam's hair. Sam pouted and playfully swatted Gabriel's hand away. Dean grinned at their antics. Then, he turned back to Castiel.

"Now what?"

"Well what do you want to do, baby? It's your day."

Dean's eyes sparkled mischievously. Whatever he wanted? Hmmm...

"Can we go outside?"

"Of course."

Dean looked at Sam, who smirked at him.

"Wanna race?"

"You're on!"

The two of them ran from the foyer out to the backyard. When they got outside, they stopped dead in their tracks. They were stunned. The entire patio was full of food, and there was a giant bounce house in the yard. Dean was torn between which he wanted to explore first, but for Sam it was an easy choice. Since he already had his snack, he ran straight for the bounce house. Although he had recently gotten sick, Dean stayed to look at the food. There were bacon cheeseburgers, fries, beer, scotch, and pie. More pie than he had ever seen in one place. Daddy and Grandpa really had thought of everything. When he was satisfied with the food choices, he ran to join his brother in the bounce house.

Everyone else filed out onto the patio, grabbing drinks and taking a seat on the lounge chairs. They made small talk with one another, occasionally glancing over at the bounce house where the brothers were playing. They spent a good half hour jumping around in that bounce house before coming out and sitting with everyone else. The two of them had juice instead of beer, courtesy of their fathers, and talked with everyone about current events.

Dean had never felt so at home. Cocooned within the bosom of his friends and family, he was surrounded by people who loved and cared about him. He had always known that people had cared; how else would he have been able to complete so many hunts? But to see them all gather in one place and know that they were all here for him was astounding. He looked over at his Daddy, who was sitting with Uncle Gabe and Grandpa. If Daddy hadn't done all this for him, none of this would have happened. He felt a warmness in his chest that he didn't have words for. He got up from his chair before going over to Castiel and giving him a tight hug.

"I love you, Daddy." He whispered into his ear. Castiel was only too happy to return the hug.

"I love you too, baby boy."

Gabriel and Chuck smiled at one another.

It was in that moment that Dean was struck with a brilliant idea. He ran over to his Grandpa and tugged on his shirt sleeve. Chuck looked over at him.

"Grandpa, can you come with me? I wanna tell you a secret."

"Sure." He let Dean lead him inside. He made sure the sliding glass door to the backyard was completely shut before taking Chuck back into the foyer, just to make sure no one could hear him.

"You can give me anything I want for my birthday, right?"

"Within reason, yes."

Dean leaned up to whisper something in his ear. When he finished, he leaned back.

"Can you do that instead of a birthday present?"

"Is that really what you want?" Dean nodded. Chuck smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "You're doing a good thing, kid. I don't know how I didn't think of doing that before."

"I'm sure you would have thought of it eventually."

"Well in any event, you're doing a wonderful thing. Now come on, let's get you back to your party before your Daddy sends out a search party."

Dean giggled and followed his grandpa to the backyard.

While they were gone, everyone had pushed the tables together and rearranged their seats to make one large table with the food in the center. Dean took his seat at the head of the table, his Daddy and Sam flanking his sides. Castiel slid a plate in front of him. There was a burger, fries, and a cup of what smelled like apple juice. Dean pouted at his Daddy's choice of drink, but Castiel wouldn't have it. He had already had a beer earlier. Now he needed something healthier to drink. Castiel rubbed his back soothingly and Dean instantly relaxed.

The lot of them ate and ate of the burgers and fries until they couldn't anymore. They all shared stories of hunting, some challenging, some funny, but all fun. Dean leaned back in his chair, happy with his lot in life. These were his friends and family. He loved each of them dearly for different reasons, but all of them loved him in turn. That was something he was still trying to understand, but the events that had happened so far today had put him well on his way to getting the message. This was exactly where he was supposed to be.


	44. Birthday Present

**Author's Note: Major feels ahead! Grab your tissues, folks! May you enjoy this chapter and please review it!**

When dinner was finished and everyone was satisfied, Castiel and Gabriel used a bit of their power to switch out the center table to one holding dessert. Specifically, the one holding every flavor pie imaginable. Dean grinned idiotically when Castiel set his favorite in front of him, stuck with two candles for him to blow out. It only took a snap of the fingers from Gabriel to light them up. Then, in classic fashion, everyone began singing Happy Birthday to Dean while he sat awkwardly in his chair, unsure of how to respond. When they finished, Daddy put both hands on his shoulders.

"Make a wish, sweetheart."

What did he need to wish for? His life was perfect. Dean shut his eyes, and then blew out the candles.

Everybody clapped their hands and waited to be served their piece of the pie. Dean didn't hesitate to dig into his portion. The second it hit his tongue, he smiled. It was amazing. He looked over at his Uncle, instantly suspicious that he was the one who made them. He was, after all, the ultimate connoisseur of sweets. When Gabriel saw his nephew looking at him, he wiggled his eyebrows in silent reply and Dean giggled. He went back to his pie and ended up eating four pieces before he decided that he was finally done. When he figured out what came next, he could hardly stay seated.

It was time to open presents.

Castiel and Gabriel helped clear the table of the dishes before they moved the presents onto the table. Castiel let Dean pick which present he wanted to open. Then he handed it to him. The first present he chose, not surprisingly, came from Sam. The two of them never bothered with the formality of giving each other a card, so he didn't have to go through that step before opening the gift. When he opened it, he smiled.

It was a picture of the two of them with Gabriel and Castiel, taken on a trip they'd taken to a park. It was perfect. He set the picture down and gave his brother a hug.

"Thanks, Sammy."

"Anytime."

The next present he chose was from Bobby. It was a few new books on lore. He was excited to read them, and grinned.

"I can't wait to read these." He said earnestly. Bobby nodded.

After that was Claire's gift. A DVD of Caddy shack and a chocolate bar. He laughed aloud at the gift. It was a part of their friendship that they spoke about the book and movie when they were together. Now he had a personal copy.

"Thanks Claire."

"Anytime."

Next were Ellen and Jo's gifts. There were some new clothes, a few toys, and some extra hunting supplies.

Then, it was Gabriel's turn.

Dean had driven himself up the wall trying to figure out what his Uncle might give him. He couldn't wait to see what it was. Gabriel handed him a small, flat box, and Dean didn't hesitate to open it. Four pieces of paper fell out, and he picked them out. When he saw what they were, he grinned.

"Wow! Tickets for a Metallica concert! Thanks Uncle Gabe!" He said, giving his Uncle a tight hug. Gabriel grinned.

"You're welcome, Dean-O."

When he finished hugging his Uncle, he looked back at the table and frowned, then turned around to where his Daddy stood.

"Daddy, what did you get me for my birthday?" He asked. Castiel smiled at him.

"I was hoping you'd ask." He pulled out a Manila envelope from behind his back. "Grandpa helped me with this one." He mouthed for Gabriel to get the camera, and waited until it was recording to put it within Dean's reach.

Dean smiled and grabbed the envelope. He opened it up and pulled out a stack of papers. He frowned, confused by what they were until he saw the title. His eyes grew wide with surprise, and his mouth hung open in shock. He looked up at his Daddy, afraid to believe what he was seeing.

"Really? You mean it?" He asked, timidly. Castiel nodded, smiling broadly. Dean's face scrunched up and he started to cry, flinging his arms around Castiel's neck and sobbing.

"What happened? What was it?" Asked Sam.

"I don't know... Why don't you tell me, Sammy?" Said Gabriel, holding out an identical envelope. Sam took it and opened it up, reading the title.

"Adoption Papers." He said. It took a minute for the words to sink in. When they did, Sam was perfectly still. He flashed down to where the names were written and Saw his name with Gabriel's. "With my name on them..." He whispered and looked up at Gabriel, completely shocked.

"I couldn't let Cassie and Dean-O have all the fun." He said, beaming. Sam wrapped his arms around Gabriel's neck. There were no words to explain the feeling.

Everyone watching the four of them were smiling. It was a privilege to witness something like that. It took a while, but eventually both of the boys calmed down. Dean wiped his eyes and then let go of Castiel, who kissed his forehead. Dean went over to Chuck and led him to where his Daddy was standing.

"Ready, Grandpa?" Dean asked. Chuck nodded while Castiel eyed them suspiciously.

"What are you two up to?"

"Grandpa's giving me my birthday present." Dean explained. Chuck stepped up to Castiel.

"Trust us." He said. Castiel looked over at Dean, and he nodded reassuringly. Reluctantly, Castiel shut his eyes as Chuck pressed two fingers to his forehead.

"Shut your eyes!" Called Dean. Everyone but Gabriel and Chuck did so. There was a blinding flash of white light, and then it was gone.

The light around him vanished, and suddenly Castiel felt more powerful than he had before. But how was that possible? He didn't know. When he opened his eyes, he saw Gabriel staring at him in shock.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"Cassie... You're an archangel..."


	45. Epilogue

**Author's Note: Well folks, this is the last chapter of the story. I can't thank you all enough for reading and reviewing. Your efforts made this possible, so I hope you enjoy this Final chapter. And who knows? Maybe there will be a sequel in the future, so keep your eyes peeled!**

Castiel just stared at his father and brother. What had he just said? He looked down at his vessel. He didn't look any different. But he did feel a little different. More... Powerful. He couldn't find the right words to speak. When he did, they didn't come out as matter-of-fact as he'd originally hoped.

"Is this even allowed?" He asked, bewildered. Chuck laughed.

"I'm God. I can do whatever I want. And frankly, Dean's idea for this was perfect. We've been short handed since lucifer went to the dark side. Who better to take his place than the angel who helped defeat him?"

"I..." He didn't have words for this. Gabriel clapped him on the shoulder in a congratulatory fashion.

"Don't overthink it, Cassie. Just roll with it."

Castiel gave his brother a look. Then he turned his attention to Dean, who was grinning at him. Castiel put his hands on his hips.

"And I suppose I have you to thank for this?" He said playfully. Dean giggled and ran up to hug him. Castiel easily picked him up and gave him a kiss. "That was very sweet of you to think about me. Thank you, sweetheart."

Dean hugged him tighter in reply.

Castiel grinned and set him down. With a slight pat on his back, he sent him off to go enjoy the party. He stayed back with his father and brother, watching his son interact with everyone. His happy, joyous spirit was infectious, and it transmitted to everyone. Even Bobby couldn't help but smile at him.

Dean made the most of every second of his birthday. He talked to everyone, thanked them for their gifts, and basked in the presence of his family. When it started to get late, however, some of them had to go home for the night. Dean pouted as expected, but said goodbye to each of them and gave them hugs. Slowly, the numbers dwindled down until it was just the four of them again. Gabriel and Castiel made short work of cleaning up after the party, and then they all went back inside the cabin.

It was still fairly early in the evening. The clock on the oven said that it was nine at night. It wasn't quite time for the boys to head to bed yet, but Gabriel and Castiel were ahead of the game and decided to have them go and brush their teeth. After that they could have some wind down time in the living room. Sam watched TV while Dean sorted through his presents and put them away. He put the books Bobby gave him on one of the other shelves in the house, and the DVD from Claire under the TV. He had the clothes and toys Ellen and Jo gave him in the nursery, and some of the new hunting supplies in the trunk of the car and put the tickets from Gabriel in the glove compartment. Finally, he set the picture Sam had given him on top of the dresser in the nursery.

There. Now everything was perfect. The only thing he didn't put away himself were the adoption papers, but he had a feeling his Daddy had somewhere special he wanted to put them, so he didn't worry about it.

By the time he went to sit with Sam, it was barely nine fifteen. He had his favorite blanket around his shoulders and his pacifier in his mouth. He didn't have to go to bed for another forty five minutes, but Cas had a feeling he just wasn't going to make it that long. As if to confirm his suspicions, Dean let out a huge yawn, and his pacifier fell out of his mouth. He caught it before it touched the ground and shoved it back in. Castiel chuckled and lifted Dean onto his hip. Dean whimpered, pointing to the ground beneath him, but Castiel shook his head no.

"Sorry buddy, but it's some birthday boy's bedtime."

Dean pouted, but didn't put up a fuss, much to Cas' relief. He Carried him into the nursery and was about to change him into his pajamas when he realized that Dean probably needed a bath after such a long and exhausting day. Promising himself he would make it quick, he started running hot water and pouring in a cap full of Dean's favorite bubble bath. He helped Dean undress and then sat him in the warm water, handing him a few of his favorite bath toys. It entertained him long enough for Castiel to wash him thoroughly. When he was done he dried him off as well as he could before getting him into a fresh diaper and his favorite pajamas.

He was going to lay Dean in his crib but he clung tightly to his shirt. He didn't want his Daddy to leave, or for this amazing day to be over. So Castiel sat in the rocking chair, cuddling him and singing to him until his eyes fluttered shut. He was very careful to not jostle Dean as he laid him down in his crib. He planted a gentle kiss on his forehead and then pulled up the side of the crib. He tiptoed his way to the door, taking one last long look at his son.

"Goodnight, baby boy." He whispered, so quietly it could have been mistaken for the whisper of the wind. He flicked off the light but froze when a little voice piped up.

"I love you, Daddy."

Castiel couldn't help the grin that crossed his face as he gently shut the door. He went out to the living room where his brother was sitting and sat down on the couch. Gabriel handed him an ice cold Corona beer. Castiel smiled and took it gratefully.

"We did it, Cassie. We finally did it."

They didn't need to speak to know what "it" was. They just clinked glasses and took a long draught of beer. It had been a long and crazy ride, but they had finally made it. They were finally the official fathers of their sons. It didn't matter what had come before, or even what might come after. Right now all was right with the world, and that's what mattered.

"There is no man in heaven or on earth richer than we are. We have it all now."

"That we do, little bro. That we do."


End file.
